Last hour – The referee of the crucial challenge between Inter and Lazio was officially sanctioned with a very severe penalty by the Serie A League, unleashing a wave of furious reactions between fans, media and even the same coach of Inter, Simone Inzaghi. The Nerazzurri technician, usually measured in his post-match comments, has let all his frustration explode in front of the microphones:“This was a real robbery! They took away precious points in the Scudetto race.”
The game, finished with a 2-2 tie, was dotted with highly contested arbitration episodes, who left the bitterness in the mouth of the whole Inter fans. The penalty not granted in the 78th minute, an evident foul in midfield not sanctioned that led to the second goal of Lazio, and a management of the cards defined as “one -way” have made public and players infuriate. The protests multiplied on the net immediately after the final whistle, with the hashtag#ScandaloSerieABecome trending topic in Italy in a few minutes.
According to sources inside the League, the decision to suspend the referee responsible for at least three rounds – with possible exclusion from the designations for the rest of the season – came after an in -depth analysis of the match by the referee committee. It is not the first time that this referee ends up under accusation for controversial performance, but this time the importance of the stakes made the explosive story. Inter, in full struggle for the Scudetto against Conte’s Napoli, cannot afford to lose points due to arbitration errors.
Inzaghi did not use mines: “It is not admissible, in a championship like Serie A, that such a match is conditioned in this way. The boys have given everything, but against certain decisions it is impossible to play. We deserve respect.”
His words found Eco in the statements of some senators of the Nerazzurri locker room, including Lautaro Martinez, who said: “It is not the first time something happened. We want to win on the field, but we cannot fight also against the referee.” Another leader of the team, Nicolò Barella, posted an enigmatic story on Instagram with the writing:“Justice where are you?”, further fueling the controversy.
In the meantime, the Nerazzurri fans have organized themselves to show their disappointment, announcing a symbolic protest during the last home game of the season. Some Ultras groups have issued very hard press releases against the League and against what they call “a system that favors certain teams”, clearly referring to Napoli, direct competitor for the title.
Some sports commentators and journalists have also expressed themselves critically. The well -known commentator Fabio Caressa declared on live TV:“If there is a referee who is wrong in such a delicate match, it is right that he is stopped. But this does not cancel the damage done to Inter. The Scudetto struggle risks being false.”Other analysts have asked for a wider revision of the VAR system, which on this occasion did not intervene effectively to correct the wrong decisions.
On the opposite front, from Lazio we try to dampen the tones. The technician Maurizio Sarri avoided controversy, limiting himself to saying:“We played our game. The arbitration episodes don’t comment on them.”However, even among the biancocelesti fans there is awareness that the match has been conditioned by multiple ambiguous episodes.
Now the Serie A enters its final act, with Inter and Napoli separated by a single point. The tension is on the stars and every detail can make a difference. In this climate, the disqualification of the referee represents an important precedent, but certainly does not subside the anger of a fans who feels robbed of his dream.
The League has ensured greater attention for the last games, with more rigorous refereeing designations and transparency in decisions. However, the damage is now done, and the 2024-2025 championship risks going to history not only for the spectacularity of the fight at the top, but also for the refereeing controversies that accompanied it until the last minute.
