Novellino blames the ref
Sunday 30 September, 2007
Torino Coach Walter Novellino was furious after the derby loss, as he insists David Trezeguet was offside.
“Trezeguet started the move in an offside position and the referee cannot change the rules,” he snapped after Juventus’ 1-0 victory.
“I am very angry, as this is a horrific thing to see. One works so hard and then you miss out on valuable points.”
The incident was debatable, as the changes in the offside rule may exonerate Trezeguet, as he showed no interest in the ball when it was first played and did not reach him. This is, however, a matter of interpretation.
When the Frenchman did get the ball, it was passed to him by a Torino defender, so he could not have been offside and it effectively 'started’ a new move.
Novellino believes this is not the first time Toro have been on the receiving end of a refereeing error and called on designator Pierluigi Collina.
“We need to make Collina understand that we are here too. I am sorry to see our position in the table, as we are playing good football.”
This was the 221st Derby della Mole in all competition, consisting of 88 Juventus wins, 74 for Torino and 59 draws.
The Granata have not beaten their local rivals since April 9, 1995 with a 2-1 'away’ sealed by Ruggero Rizzitelli’s brace.