Former Serie A referee Tiziano Pieri believes Daniele Orsato’s ‘first mistake’ in Juventus–Roma was to have the whistle in his mouth. ‘Had he had it in his hand, he would have had more time to think.’
Orsato was in the spotlight on Sunday. He went against the guidelines by blowing the whistle too early for a Roma penalty, therefore denying a Tammy Abraham goal, and Wojciech Szczesny then saved the spot-kick.
Although Henrikh Mkhitaryan passed the ball to Abraham with his hand and, therefore, the goal should have been disallowed, Orsato still blew the whistle too early and didn’t play the advantage, going against the guidelines.
Pieri, a former Serie A referee, analysed the incident during La Domenica Sportiva.
Juve-Roma ref controversy: Mkhitaryan passed the ball to Abraham with his hand
“I think the first mistake was to hold the whistle in his mouth,” Pieri said.
“If Orsato had the whistle in his hand, as it usually happens, and not in the mouth, he would have had more time to assess what happened.
“I think he put the whistle in his mouth after the contact between Abraham and Danilo and after the second incident, which is a clear penalty, he blew the whistle. He was a little unlucky as well.”
The AIA won’t suspend Orsato after Juventus-Roma so he could be appointed for another Serie A match next weekend.