Italian refereeing body admits controversial Inter goal was illegal

Italian refereeing has come under scrutiny after the country’s referees' body admitted a critical error in allowing Marko Arnautovic’s goal for Inter against Genoa in a Serie A tie.

The controversy stems from an action by Yann Bisseck, who appeared to push Kevin Strootman during the play leading up to Arnautovic's goal. 

Former Serie A referee Luca Marelli emphasised that Bisseck's two-handed push on Strootman's back was a clear violation of the rules and warranted intervention by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), which never came.

Marelli compared this situation to a previous match where Lazio's Nicolò Casale had a goal disallowed under similar circumstances, highlighting the inconsistency in the application of the rules regarding fouls during goal-scoring opportunities.

Football Italia reports that leaders of the Italian Referee Association (AIA) have admitted that Arnautovic's goal for Inter against Genoa should not have stood. This admission came after an in-depth review of the incident and discussions among the refereeing officials.

The error in judgment involved the failure of referees Daniele Doveri and Irrati to utilise VAR effectively. This oversight in addressing the foul on Strootman by Bisseck was acknowledged as a significant mistake by the AIA.

Following the controversial decision, Genoa's management sought clarification from the AIA. The leaders within the AIA opted for a diplomatic approach, admitting the error while highlighting steps taken to avoid similar issues in future matches.