Referee Marco Di Bello reacts during Genoa vs Napoli at Stadio Luigi Ferraris on Aug 22, 2026.
Did you catch the five glaring officiating blunders this season? Designator Daniele Orsato confirmed mistakes in matches like Juventus‑Atalanta, Torino‑Milan, Como‑Parma and Fiorentina‑Frosinone.
The Lega Serie A and representatives from twenty clubs gathered today at the Lissone centre near Milan, the hub where VAR officials analyse match footage.
Officials reviewed the season’s new approach, showcasing clips of disputed moments to illustrate how decisions were reached.
In my view, confessing to four Serie A errors and one in the Coppa Italia shows rare transparency.
General view of the VAR monitor inside Arena Garibaldi during the Pisa SC vs Bologna FC 1909 match on Mar 2, 2026.
The latest slip occurred this weekend when Juventus downed Atalanta 2‑0 in Serie A.
Orsato said VAR should have stepped in for Pierre Kalulu’s shirt tug on Jonathan Rowe, which would have given Atalanta a penalty while the score stood 1‑0.
He likened it to the midweek Coppa Italia incident where Mateo Pellegrino was pulled by Antonio Caracciolo during Fiorentina’s win over Pisa, and VAR stayed silent.
Two mistakes also marred Fiorentina’s Serie A clash with Frosinone: a denied penalty for Ilario Monterisi and a red card for Alex Jimenez.
Milan deserved a penalty in their away win over Torino, as Nikola Vlasic’s handball warranted a VAR On‑Field Review.
Despite Cesc Fabregas’ protests, Orsato maintained that Como midfielder Maxence Caqueret should have been sent off for his challenge on Parma’s Sascha Britschgi.
He also defended the decision to let Milan’s goal stand against Juventus, despite a Koni De Winter challenge on Randal Kolo Muani in the build‑up.
Orsato confirmed there was no penalty for Roberto Gagliardini’s tackle on Konan N’Dri in the Cagliari‑Lecce match.
When questioned about Kevin De Bruyne’s shove on Johan Vasquez before Napoli’s goal against Genoa, or Torbjørn Heggem’s challenge on Gaetano Oristanio in Bologna‑Torino, Orsato insisted the referees had a clear view and judged correctly.
Where VAR and referees got it wrong – will the league tighten protocols to prevent further slip‑ups?