A controversial penalty call, an overturned goal and inconsistent VAR interpretations overshadow Napoli’s 2–2 draw at the Maradona
Napoli’s home draw against Verona has left behind far more controversy than football. The 2–2 result at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium was shaped by a series of refereeing decisions that sparked confusion, anger and renewed debate over VAR consistency in Serie A.
At the center of the storm: a penalty awarded against Napoli, a disallowed goal, and a post-match outburst from Antonio Conte that summed up the mood perfectly.
The penalty incident: handball… but what came first?
The most disputed moment came inside Napoli’s penalty area. Alessandro Buongiorno clearly made contact with the ball using his left hand, raised above shoulder height—a textbook handball under the current interpretation of the rules.
However, the controversy lies in what happened seconds earlier.
Verona defender Valentini jumped higher but, on the way down, clearly struck Buongiorno with his right arm across the face, neck and chest. A foul that appeared evident in slow motion and should have been punished before any handball consideration.
Instead, VAR official Maurizio Marini focused exclusively on the handball, ignoring the preceding foul. No “penalty but foul first” explanation followed—just the spot kick, later converted by Orban.
VAR inconsistency and a harsh scorecard
The same VAR official was also involved in other key decisions:
- Correctly disallowed Napoli’s goal for a handball by Rasmus Højlund in the immediate build-up
- Correctly validated Verona’s opening goal, with Frese kept onside by the ball
- Failed, however, to apply consistency in evaluating physical contact before the Buongiorno handball
The verdict from Italian pundits was brutal: VAR rating 4.5/10. “Speechless.”
Conte’s anger: “Should he amputate his arm?”
After the match, Conte tried to remain measured—but only to a point.
“Those were two negative episodes in the first half that could have killed any team,” he told DAZN. “We did well to keep our heads straight and come back.”
Then came the comment that quickly went viral, referring to the disallowed goal:
“I don’t know where Højlund was supposed to put his arm. Should he amputate it? They fired the ball at him. These are subjective interpretations from VAR, and we accept them—but it becomes difficult.”
No polemics… but no clarity either
In his post-match press conference, Conte softened his tone without changing the substance.
“There’s no clear line anymore. Everything is subjective—sometimes it goes your way, sometimes it doesn’t. They are humans acting in good faith, and we have to accept it.”
On the Buongiorno penalty, he added:
“The referee hadn’t awarded the penalty, and he had validated Højlund’s goal. VAR intervened. We accept it—but the interpretations change every match.”
A comeback that counts—but leaves bitterness
On the pitch, Napoli showed resilience. After going down 2–0, goals from Scott McTominay and Giovanni Di Lorenzo salvaged a draw that could prove valuable.
Conte also praised the unexpected impact of Marianucci, who assisted Di Lorenzo despite being a defensive substitution in an attacking phase.
Still, the feeling remains that Napoli paid a heavy price for unclear refereeing logic.
Looking ahead to Inter
Napoli now turn their attention to the looming trip to face Inter—a defining clash in the title race.
“Favorites don’t interest me,” Conte said. “We’ll go there with hunger and determination.”
But after a night dominated by VAR controversy, Napoli travel to Milan with more than just injury concerns—they carry the weight of unanswered questions.
