Marotta: "Significant harm that we hope doesn't influence our season"

MILAN - During the 13th edition of the Giacinto Facchetti awards ceremony – “Il bello del Calcio”, the Nerazzurri’s Sport CEO GiuseppeMarotta discussed the controversy regarding Fiorentina vs. Inter on Sunday. The Nerazzurri drew 3-3 at the Stadio Franchi after a decisive penalty in the 101st minute: “We suffered significant harm last night. We hope that it's not irreparable in terms of the league standings because it could be really severe.

“The incident took place at the end of the game, therefore, it was different from the one in the fifth minute when there was plenty of time left to play. As a director of football that’s part of the Italian movement and the Federation, the main regret is that we’ve invested a lot in VAR to help referees. The aim was not to get rid of all mistakes but to reduce them. It must be used rationally. We’re now faced with a situation where objectivity has been confused with subjectivity. I cannot help but remain disappointed and stunned.

“An explanation from Abisso? I’m not the one to condemn a referee, maybe the entire system must be reviewed because it’s clear that something didn’t work although it’s not down to me to point out the guilty party. A position must be taken from who are in charge, ensuring that the performance of referees is impeccable. Obviously, what’s happened represents irreparable damage in the league standings. I hope that it’s not fatal at the end of the season. D’Ambrosio’s action is objective and what’s happened is incredible. This is the biggest mistake since the introduction of VAR.”

As for the controversy linked to Politano’s celebration, Marotta concluded: “They are pure conspiracies, which I’ll just ignore. It’s a useless discussion. In fact, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the team and the Coach, because I saw a competitive and motivated Inter side on Sunday, which is what we wanted. We played well and that’s the most important thing.”