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Serie A’s referee designator Gianluca Rocchi said match official Federico La Penna was “clearly wrong” in showing Juventus defender Pierre Kalulu a second yellow card during Saturday’s loss at Inter, and apologised over the incident.
Kalulu was sent off after Inter’s Alessandro Bastoni tumbled to the ground and immediately gestured towards the referee demanding a card, indicating that Kalulu had grabbed his shirt to bring him down. Television footage suggested there was no contact between the players. Juventus, down to 10 men after the sending off, lost 3-2, meaning Inter are now eight points clear at the top.
“We are very sorry about the incident, about La Penna’s decision, which was clearly wrong, and about the fact that VAR could not be used to rectify it,” Rocchi told Italian news agency Ansa. “La Penna is mortified and we are close to him, but I have to tell you the truth that he is not the only one who made a mistake, because yesterday there was clear simulation.”
Kalulu made the VAR gesture as he protested his marching orders, but the league’s protocol prevents the use of VAR in yellow card situations, including for second yellows that lead to sendings off.
The Juventus coach Luciano Spalletti and director Giorgio Chiellini later confronted La Penna in the tunnel. “Something completely unacceptable happened today, it doesn’t matter whether it happens to us or someone else, and from tomorrow presumably VAR will have to change, because this is not acceptable that so many errors keep happening even in big games like this,” Chiellini told Sky Italia.
Later on Sunday, Napoli host Roma in Serie A.
In Spain, Fran Pérez, Óscar Valentín and Nobel Mendy fired Rayo Vallecano to a 3-0 win over an understrength Atletico Madrid in a La Liga match overshadowed by protests against the Rayo owner, Raúl Martín Presa.
With Atlético’s focus on Wednesday’s Champions League knockout playoff at Club Brugge, Diego Simeone selected a weakened side and paid the price, with Pérez and Valentín scoring before the break and Mendy wrapping things up in the second half.
For Rayo, the victory provides breathing space in their battle near the bottom. They are one point clear of the relegation zone on 25 points, while Atlético remain fourth on 45 points, 15 behind leaders Barcelona.
Played in front of swathes of empty seats at Leganés’ Butarque stadium, the fixture was relocated after La Liga ruled Rayo’s pitch at Vallecas unplayable. The sparse crowd made plenty of noise nonetheless, directing their anger at Presa throughout.
LaLiga postponed Rayo’s home match against Real Oviedo last weekend due to an unplayable surface, citing heavy rainfall and a poor pitch that thwarted efforts to restore recently replaced turf. With conditions failing to improve, Sunday’s match was moved as second-tier Leganés were away at Córdoba.
Rayo declined to comment on the issues, saying they would limit themselves to reposting LaLiga’s official statements on their website.
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This story will be updated
