Genoa President Alberto Zangrillo hit out angrily at Inter midfielder Nicolò Barella for ‘pirouetting like a clown’ to con the referee into giving a penalty, while Simone Inzaghi ‘leaps about on the touchline.’
The controversy continues to drag on following last night’s 2-1 Inter victory at San Siro, which was decided by a penalty for Morten Frendrup’s sliding tackle on Barella.
Footage from Sky Sport Italia behind the goal shows very clearly that Frendrup got the ball, deflected it onto the side-netting and only afterwards connected with Barella, but referee Giovanni Ayroldi stuck with his decision even after a VAR On-Field Review.
“Refereeing is a delicate job, but they are not helped by players who are pirouetting like a clown and faking non-existent trauma to con the officials,” Zangrillo told Radio 1.
“I see those who mime some sort of serious head trauma when they got a boot in the butt during a perfectly normal collision. I am not just talking about Barella, this sort of thing happens every Sunday.”
Zangrillo also hit out at Inter coach Inzaghi, especially after his own tactician Alberto Gilardino had a very calm and magnanimous response to being shown the penalty error.
“We do not have a coach who leaps about on the touchline like a lunatic and he does not importune the fourth official, especially because if he so much as raises a finger, he will get booked or sent off.”
The Genoa President added that he has set out a code of ethics at his club and will “punish any players who simulate fouls or pirouette like crazy people. However, this is not the response at prestigious clubs. It happened yesterday and was clear to everyone’s eyes.
“Barella is an Italy international, but if he makes seven pirouettes because Frendrup touches him after having got the ball, then clearly he is going to con the referee.”
There is genuine confusion as to why the VAR did not show Ayroldi the footage from an angle that clearly showed Frendrup got the ball.