Referee Antonio Rapuano has been heavily criticised for his calls in Inter’s Supercoppa Italiana final win over Napoli.
The Nerazzurri secured their third consecutive Supercoppa Italiana in Monday evening’s final in Riyadh, picking up a 1-0 win after a 91st minute goal from captain Lautaro Martinez. Napoli coach Walter Mazzarri was furious and refused to attend the ceremony after the match.
Inter’s victory has awarded them €8m in prize money and given them a key boost in confidence in the early stages of the second half of this season. Napoli picked up €5m for finishing second and are clearly in a state of transition after last term’s Scudetto success.
The work of referee Rapuano failed to impress the Italian media, who were particularly disappointed with his decision to give Napoli’s Giovanni Simeone two yellow cards.
Former referee Graziano Cesari told Sport Mediaset via TMW that he didn’t agree with the two bookings for the Argentine striker.
“I don’t think the first foul was a yellow card. There is a connection to Calhanoglu, but Inter have just started a counter and it’s not a dangerous action.
“On the stomp, there is a suggestion from the fourth official, Rapuano probably didn’t understand that it was Simeone who he had just booked. I didn’t like the usage of the cards.”
Corriere dello Sport were even less impressed with Rapuano’s work, heavily criticising the Italian official and the decision to appoint him to the match.
“He lost the match with crazy technical disciplinary behaviour, under the eyes of Rocchi (who had to deal with the post-match criticism himself).
“There was a need to bring a referee from Italy, whoever was already in Riyadh wasn’t good enough? If this is one of the best, we are in terrible shape. Zero acceptance, game affected (ruined?) by him. Very bad.”