Referee or VAR, Valeri always courts controversy

Referee Paolo Valeri has found himself back under the spotlight, as just days after admitting he made a big mistake as VAR in Atalanta-Milan, several incidents caused controversy in Fiorentina-Inter.

The 44-year-old has had a very bad week, leading to some Viola fans wondering if they will be due a very late apology as well.

Valeri spoke to the media and confessed it was an error as the VAR official not to call the referee to the monitor for Hans Hateboer’s lunge on Rafael Leao.

“That was a red card. Fire red,” admitted Valeri two months late, as the 0-0 draw was played on August 21.

It was assumed he would learn from that experience, but instead Valeri shocked everyone on Saturday by not even giving a yellow card to Federico Dimarco for a knee-high tackle on Giacomo Bonaventura.

Valeri could not even have the excuse that he didn’t see it properly, because he originally gave nothing and was called to view it again on the VAR monitor because the foul was in the penalty area.

Despite giving the spot-kick and seeing it in slow-motion from various angles, the referee not only failed to send Dimarco off, but didn’t even give him a yellow card.

That decision just 33 minutes into the game, which Inter went on to win 4-3, inevitably had a big effect on the outcome.

Will Fiorentina fans have to wait two months to get their apology from Valeri, or will he stand by that decision?

It is not the first time that Valeri has caused controversy either, because last season Empoli were furious after Danilo D’Ambrosio appeared to foul Nedim Bajrami in the penalty area when Valeri was the VAR and opted not to intervene.

He was also the VAR in 2018 when Miralem Pjanic did not receive a second yellow card for Juventus in the Scudetto showdown with Inter.

However, in that case his hands were tied, as the VAR cannot intervene for a yellow card if not to suggest it be changed to a straight red, so the decision had to stand with referee Daniele Orsato.