epa11671966 Roma's Bryan Cristante (2-L) and Inter's Marcus Thuram (R) in action during the Italian Serie A soccer match AS Roma vs FC Inter at Olimpico stadium in Rome, Italy, 20 October 2024. EPA-EFE/ANGELO CARCONI

Bryan Cristante was lucky to avoid a red card in the first half of Roma-Inter, especially with Tijjani Reijnders sent off for a similar incident yesterday: ‘Where’s VAR?’ Asked ex-Lazio striker Felipe Caicedo.

Inter players appealed for a red card to Roma midfielder Cristante in the first half of a Serie A match at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday.

ROME, ITALY – OCTOBER 20: The referee Davide Massa shows the yellow card to FC Internazionale head coach Simone Inzaghi during the Serie A match between AS Roma and FC Internazionale at Stadio Olimpico on October 20, 2024 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)

The Italian midfielder was the last Roma player trying to steal the ball from Marcus Thuram just outside Roma’s box. Cristante didn’t get the ball and hit his opponent, but referee Davide Massa waved play on.

Several fans and pundits on social media noted that the incident was similar to the one that saw Milan midfielder Reijnders sent off against Udinese on Saturday.

Former Lazio striker Caicedo wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “Same incident as last night, where’s VAR?”

Referee designator Gianluca Rocchi said only a few days ago that he expected more consistency from Serie A officials, but yet again, similar incidents have been judged differently during this weekend’s fixtures.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *