Casarin: Referees facing confusion amid Bastoni-Duda controversy

Former referee and scheduler, Paolo Casarin, voiced his concerns about the controversial foul by Inter’s defender Bastoni on Duda during an interview on Rai Radio 1. It was this tackle which led to the second goal of the game.

Casarin stated, “Undoubtedly there was a clear foul by Bastoni on Duda, which set up Frattesi’s goal.” He raised concerns about the fact that the referee on the ground, Fabbri, who was well-placed, did not intervene.

The ex-referee went on to express his dissatisfaction with the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) saying that Nasca, who was in charge of the VAR, should have intervened and rectified the clear and objective mistake. Casarin said that the referees are currently going through a period of confusion with the VAR, which, instead of simplifying things, is adding further complications.

According to Casarin, the process should be straightforward – the referee may make a mistake or miss a call, but the VAR, having more information, should clarify and not ignore the situation. The referee should then take into consideration this potential correction and make a decision.

He described the current situation as disappointing, suggesting that rather than functioning as a team, each referee seems to be handling matters individually. Casarin noted that while VAR has the potential to reduce traditional errors, this isn’t happening as it should.

Casarin concluded, “The referee must always be the one who decides, but must be prepared to accept corrections from VAR. Avoidance is not the solution.”.