Former stars of Inter and Milan have expressed differing opinions regarding the Samuele Ricci handball incident during the recent Milan derby. Inter legend Beppe Bergomi believes the play, which occurred in the final minutes, warranted a pitchside VAR review. However, Milan legend Alessandro Costacurta is “pleased” that such incidents will no longer be penalized.
In the recent derby, Inter suffered a 1-0 defeat to city rivals Milan. In the match’s closing stages, the Nerazzurri vehemently appealed for a penalty after Rossoneri midfielder Samuele Ricci unintentionally made contact with the ball with his arm inside the box.
Alessandro Costacurta, a former Milan defender, commented on the situation for Sky Sport Italia: “I believe the proximity [of the players] influenced VAR’s evaluation. Until now, penalties like these have always been given. However, I’m pleased that something has changed over the last two matchdays. In my opinion, this type of incident is never a penalty, but until two weeks ago, it was. I like that, from now on, it will no longer be considered such.” He added, “Until two weeks ago, we were complaining like crazy because they were giving these ridiculous penalties every time. Apparently, they looked at it and made an assessment. Maybe it wasn’t a clear penalty after he didn’t block a shot. I ask myself, why are we wasting so much time on this?”
Paolo Di Canio, a former striker for Milan, Lazio, and Juventus, offered his perspective: “For me, the arm here stops the ball, which otherwise would have gone onto his side. In trying to pull his arm away, he slightly cushions the ball. The advantage gained from the instinctive movement to retract the arm is that the ball stays there. I’d just like to see the referee’s position again and whether he had a clear view. In that situation, VAR could have suggested something, or at least asked him whether he had seen it clearly.”
Conversely, Inter legend Bergomi felt the referee should have reviewed the incident on the pitchside monitor. The 1982 Italy World Cup winner stated: “I’ve seen many penalties given this way, even less obvious ones. But I don’t want to fuel controversy. The referee didn’t see it, and the player was close. In this case, VAR should intervene; I don’t know why it didn’t.”
Inter currently leads the Serie A table, holding a seven-point advantage over their city rivals. The Nerazzurri have accumulated 22 wins in 28 league matches, drawing once and losing five times, including both defeats against Milan.
