Serie A and Serie B designator Gianluca Rocchi believes Juventus–Inter referee Davide Massa ‘officiated the game well’ and claims Romelu Lukaku was sent off for what he said and not for what he did.
The 29-year-old converted a late penalty kick at the Allianz Stadium on Tuesday night, helping Inter secure a 1-1 draw in the first leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final.
He received a second yellow card and was therefore sent off after celebrating by silencing Juventus’ Curva. He had done the same during the international break when he scored a hat-trick for Belgium against Sweden.
Designator Rocchi, a former Serie A and international referee, has explained why Lukaku was sent off on Tuesday.
As reported by Gazzetta, Rocchi has reviewed the incidents and believes the referee of Juventus-Inter Davide Massa ‘officiated the game well.’
‘The striker’s celebration, which had already been seen with the national team, was accompanied by the words: ‘Muti, muti,’ (shut up, in Italian), which the law in the rulebook sees as provocatory,’ explains Gazzetta.
According to the report, Rocchi admitted that Lukaku was probably reacting to racist abuse from Juventus fans, but if the referee had heard them or if Lukaku had reported to the referee, the match should have been stopped. However, federal inspectors have recovered everything and actions could be taken in the near future if an investigation takes place.