Marotta: “The penalty was clear”
Systems, tactics, individual and group performances are certainly important topics, but just an event is enough to make all these words vain, because that single event can determine the development of a game. In Juventus v Siena, that event occurred, right five minutes before the final whistle: Chiellini crossed from the left and Vergassola carried out a real ‘volleyball block’, with his arm extended and far from his body in order to stop the ball. A clear penalty, but referee Peruzzo didn’t detect it, despite of his good viewing position. Inevitably, at the end of the match, the Managing Director Giuseppe Marotta pointed out his disappointment, shared by the whole club: “We can’t speak only about mistakes in front of the goal and tactical circumstances, if then we overlook this kind of events. Today, we’ve been penalized due to a clear penalty which hasn’t been given, and if you notice we’re leading the table with just a penalty in our favour over 21 games. Traditionally, experienced officials are called to referee top table sides, usually also having international experience. A young referee can also feel himself psychologically conditioned when, some minutes before the final whistle, a penalty must be detected, even if it’s absolutely clear, because he can influence the result. We greatly respect the referee organization, but expressing our assessments is fair, as the game official is a fundamental element in every match. Therefore, we ask for more respect for Juventus.”
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