Parma director Alessandro Lucarelli launched a tirade at the referee after their 2-1 defeat to Roma. ‘The penalty not given was ridiculous. We’re not village idiots.’

The Ducali had taken the lead with an early spot-kick, but were shocked when the official went to the on-field review monitor for another Gianluca Mancini handball incident and opted against a penalty.

Parma director Alessandro Lucarelli launched a tirade at the referee after their 2-1 defeat to Roma. ‘The penalty not given was ridiculous. We’re not village idiots.’

The Ducali had taken the lead with an early spot-kick, but were shocked when the official went to the on-field review monitor for another Gianluca Mancini handball incident and opted against a penalty.

“I am the only one talking, because we’ve already had too many people suspended,” team manager and former captain Lucarelli told DAZN.

“This evening, we really did hit a new level of ridiculousness. The VAR called the referee over to the monitor so he could give a penalty and he still didn’t give it.

“We have once again been the victims of refereeing decisions. We tried not to create controversy or stir up trouble, but enough is enough, we cannot accept these errors anymore.

“Just because we’re on 39 points doesn’t mean we’re the village idiots. Go and see the fouls given against Bruno Alves and Matteo Darmian, then they don’t award us a penalty like that?!

“VAR was meant to help referees, but evidently it has made some of them very confused. When there are evenly-balanced games, the incidents are decisive and at this moment, they are all going against us.

“Of course the team is irritable after four or five games in a row of this. We can’t keep pretending nothing is happening, the referees need to be more focused.

“If we were on 29 points and at risk of relegation, then the bans would flow with all we had to say. We will not accept this in silence.”

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