Hellas Verona director Sean Sogliano suggested on Saturday, following the harsh conclusion of his club's Serie A match with Internazionale, that the VAR was influenced to assist the top club.
Just before the end of the match, Davide Frattesi scored what turned out to be the decisive goal, giving the leaders a 2-1 advantage.
This goal's buildup was marked by a contentious moment when Alessandro Bastoni appeared to elbow Ondrej Duda. Sean Sogliano, speaking at a press conference, expressed his concerns. 'Inter boasts an impressive team, and I do hope they clinch the Scudetto, but the lack of respect shown towards my club today is deeply concerning,' he said.
Sogliano continued, 'Mistakes are a part of the game, but the incidents today were beyond the pale. It seems inconceivable that the VAR officials missed our player being elbowed in the face. Such an oversight leaves me feeling abandoned. I normally place my trust in the VAR system, but the failures we witnessed today are nothing short of disgraceful.'
He expressed his regret that the post-match discussion had to center around the VAR's performance. 'If I remain silent, it's as if we're ignoring what happened. The shock of it all is overwhelming. It defies belief that two trained professionals in the VAR room would fail to bring such a clear incident to the referee's attention. It almost feels like someone higher up may have influenced the decision-making process in this case.'
In a dramatic twist during the final moments of the game, the VAR did step in following an incident involving Matteo Darmian and Giangiacomo Magnani. This led to the visitors being awarded a penalty. However, in a pivotal moment, Thomas Henry's attempt was unsuccessful, ultimately sealing a victory for Inter.
