VAR in football
Referee Orsato, who was in the stands, won’t be very pleased. After all, this incident is just the latest in a long series of glaring errors. A nasty affair. And it was not only Venezia who paid the price, but also the female referee, who was subjected to heavy insults and various sexist remarks. ‘For me, it was a clear penalty,’ admitted Fabregas, the Como manager. Venezia’s manager, Davide Nicola, has rightly called for the Italian Referees’ Association to intervene. A bad day for the referees. Another glaring error – this time in the Frosinone v Torino match – stemmed from the failure to send off a Torino player. Aboukhlal (who was only booked) for a serious foul on Raimondo, who was then forced off. In this instance, where it should have intervened, VAR turned a deaf ear.
Frosinone soars to new heights
Raimondo’s injury aside, this is a magical moment for Frosinone. Sixth in the table, just one point behind Milan, Alvini’s side beat Torino 2–0 with goals from Ghedjemis and Calò. The Ciociari, newly promoted, are another surprise in this unpredictable season that seems to delight in shaking things up. Twenty points is already half the total needed to avoid relegation, but the question on many people’s minds is just how far this cheerful side can go. Having reached Serie A from the Promozione division, Massimiliano Alvini, 57, a Tuscan from Fucecchio like Indro Montanelli, is living proof that Italia produces excellent managers. Quoting the writer Albert Camus, Alvini recounts having worked his way up by travelling around the province. His mantra, like Arrigo Sacchi’s, is ‘Intensity’. And although, like the venerable maestro, he sold shoes in his youth, Alvini has a lighter, more easy-going approach. He enjoys playing football. And he passes on this passion to his players.
Gattuso’s triumphant march
Now back at the top, it must be said that Lazio have overcome the toughest hurdle: the emotional challenge of taking the lead by capitalising on Inter’s slip-up. Beating Cagliari, who had taken the lead through Nzola, was by no means a walk in the park, however. It took a comeback sparked first by a precise left-footed strike from Isaksen and then by a decisive header from Pinamonti. With 28 points from ten matches, Gattuso is marching at a title-winning pace. They may not win it, but the team is firing on all cylinders despite the well-known club issues. Being top of the table can feel a bit mad (it hasn’t happened since the 2010–2011 season), but with Rino Gattuso, it’s unlikely anyone will let their guard down: “When we reach 40 points – the safety mark – I’ll start thinking about some other target,” says Gattuso, winking at his players. Who knows? In football, anything is possible. Remember Bagnoli’s Verona winning the Scudetto? And Ranieri’s Leicester? It’s no sin to dream. Provided you wake up at the right moment.
Chivu, what a strike!
It was a rude awakening for Inter, however. They came away from the derby on the back foot. This is the fourth time in a row. Overwhelmed in the first twenty minutes, even after Bastoni’s goal to make it 2–1, they never rose to the challenge. Lacklustre in defence and blunt in attack, after Maignan’s superb save from Spence’s close-range shot, Inter once again lost their way. Moreira’s splendid free-kick, which sealed the match at 3–1, stemmed from a serious error by the Nerazzurri, particularly Barella, who is usually a mainstay. The substitutions also came too late. Chivu said this was due to a virus that had affected Benny and Esposito. That is certainly true. But Inter were already coming off the back of a long run of defensive frailties, which had previously been overcome thanks to their deep squad. Clearly, a dark evil is brewing, a nagging virus. It will be up to Chivu to get to the bottom of it, provided he does not underestimate this setback by dismissing it as a niggling derby ache to be banished with a few aspirins. For the time being, Inter are still leading the league. However… however…
And what about Milan? It’s hard to say. After the heavy defeat against Bologna, they’ve bounced back, closing the gap on the Nerazzurri to four points. If they were always like this, they’d be in the running for the Scudetto. But so far that hasn’t been the case – quite the opposite, in fact. One day they’re Dr Jekyll, the next they’re Mr Hyde. Which is the real one? Will Amorim finally manage to bring some consistency to their form? And Ramos? Will he manage to score goals – the very reason he was paid a fortune (over 70 million) – or will he carry on running himself ragged up and down the pitch?
