Vincenzo Montella was enraged after Fiorentina’s 1-1 draw with Cagliari. “I will no longer accept this difference in judging incidents.”
Vincenzo Montella was enraged after Fiorentina’s 1-1 draw with Cagliari. “I will no longer accept this difference in judging incidents.”
The Coach vented his fury when Giuseppe Rossi had penalty appeals waved away in stoppages, as David Pizarro also saw red for dissent when he asked the referee why he was “afraid” of blowing the whistle.
“Since I’ve been in management I have tried not to comment on refereeing decisions, but I feel the need to say something now,” Montella told Sky Sport Italia.
“I will no longer accept this difference in judging incidents and the lack of uniformity in treatment of some players compared to others.
“The referee must not be offended, and that’s fine, but at least in this you need some sort of uniformity of treatment. These incidents will always cause controversy. The penalty you could give or not give, but that wasn’t the reason for my anger.
“I hope my complaint has not gone over the line or offended the refereeing system, which has improved over the years, but I cannot accept this. The referees have pressure and tension, but I don’t think they are afraid.”
Montella was asked whether the controversial decisions of last season had left residual bitterness in the Viola camp.
“That’s probably true, as last season we didn’t react this way. Perhaps unconsciously I too have changed.
“Unfortunately the football system does lose credibility. There are bound to be suspicions after certain decisions.”
It was a bad day all round for Fiorentina, as Mario Gomez and Juan Guillermo Cuadrado went off injured. The German striker suffered ligament damage and the Colombian dislocated his shoulder.
“The injuries are certainly the saddest note of the day, so we can only hope they prove to be less serious than they seem,” continued Montella.
“Apart from good and bad luck, I think Fiorentina played a solid game. Considering the players at our disposal, we could not have done better. We were in control until the end and I think we should’ve finished it off earlier.
“Cagliari were tough, but my team wants to continue growing and I am aware of that.”