Referee correct on Fiorentina 1-1 Inter handball penalty appeal

The Italian Referees Association (AIA) has officially upheld the decision not to award a penalty for handball during the recent Fiorentina 1-1 Inter draw, directly contradicting Inter President Beppe Marotta's assertion that it should have been given.

The contentious incident occurred just nine minutes into the Serie A fixture at the Stadio Artemio Franchi, with Inter already leading 1-0. Fiorentina defender Marin Pongracic's arm made contact with the ball, but both the on-field referee and VAR quickly dismissed the appeals, which were noted as rather subdued at the time.

AIA Defends Fiorentina-Inter Call

Speaking on DAZN's Open VAR program, Mauro Tonolini, representing the AIA, provided a clear justification for the decision.

“The referee made the correct judgment on the pitch, evaluating the incident perfectly from an excellent vantage point,” Tonolini stated. He further elaborated, “The ball first bounces in front of Pongracic, who attempts to play it with his heel. The subsequent contact with his arm is in a natural position given the movement he is making. This is definitively not a situation warranting a handball penalty.”

Audio from the VAR booth, featuring referees Fabio Maresca and Davide Massa, was also played, reinforcing the decision. “I concur, he tries to withdraw his arm. The ball bounces, and the dynamics indicate this is not a penalty. The ball changes direction after hitting the ground,” the discussion confirmed.

Following the 1-1 draw, which subsequently tightened the Scudetto race, Inter President Marotta publicly suggested that numerous television pundits believed it was a penalty.

“I observed various pundits and experts who stated Marin Pongracic’s handling offense was a penalty,” Marotta insisted. “We are not seeking to portray ourselves as victims; we simply desire uniformity in refereeing and evaluation for the betterment of football as a whole. Generally, I believe all clubs lodge complaints throughout a season, and overall errors tend to balance out. I don’t wish for this to be an excuse, as sport inherently involves errors around every corner. We must prove to be stronger than any officiating mistakes.”

Interestingly, DAZN pundit Luca Marelli had immediately clarified his opinion that it was not a spot-kick. Other commentators at best pointed out that similar handballs had been penalized earlier in the season, advocating for greater clarity in the rules.

The AIA also took the opportunity to confirm other correct decisions made in Serie A the previous weekend, including the awarding of a penalty to Juventus for Jay Idzes' handling offense, and a penalty to Torino after Milan defender Strahinja Pavlovic grabbed Giovanni Simeone's face.