Roma coach Daniele De Rossi insists there is no cause for complaint about the refereeing after Inter’s controversial opener. ‘I told Marco Guida that in my view that’s never offside.’
The deadlock was broken at the Stadio Olimpico when Romelu Lukaku flicked on a Federico Dimarco corner for the looping Francesco Acerbi header.
Referee Guida was called to the VAR monitor for an On-Field Review to evaluate Marcus Thuram’s offside position, but decided it was not interfering with play and allowed the goal to stand.
While the Giallorossi spent most of the last three years with Jose Mourinho receiving bans for insulting referees on the touchline, in car parks and press conferences, De Rossi takes a very different tack.
“I spoke to Guida and told him that many offsides like that were flagged, but in my view that’s never offside,” said the coach in his press conference.
“The only controversy you might want to find is that I’ve seen many situations like that lead to disallowed goals, but in my view we ought to let those stand.”
Inter went on to win 4-2 at the Stadio Olimpico.
Rather than criticise the VAR who called Guida to the On-Field Review monitor, De Rossi also had a suggestion.
“The rules are not written very clearly, we see every touch result in a yellow card, players go down too easily, every offside people try to argue is active when it isn’t. I think the authorities should let us help them to rewrite the rules.
“I saw the replay, Thuram’s position did not seem to be interfering with play. In my idea of football, that is a goal. I know modern football might see that as offside, but for the football I see and think we ought to work towards, that is not offside.”
The IFAB is also suggesting a new technique called the Blue Card, given when a foul is more than a mere yellow and not quite a red, so the player is sent to a ‘sin bin’ for 10 minutes.
“I’m not sure I like that, as it would mean having to do without a player.”