Former referee Gianpaolo Calvarese has shared his perspective on the penalty awarded to Inter against Udinese. He spoke on Sky Sport about the decision process leading to the pivotal call.
He elaborated, “Initially, referee Marco Di Bello chooses to carry on. However, he is then summoned for an On Field Review by VAR Mazzoleni.”
The review at the monitor was somewhat lengthy, culminating in the penalty’s allocation, which Hakan Calhanoglu later converted. Calvarese implied that the intervention of VAR in this situation seemed a bit forced.
Typically in circumstances where high contact occurs, the intensity is judged on the field, not via technology. It does appear that when the referee is presented with the images in an On Field Review case, the awarding of a penalty becomes almost inevitable.
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