'Get informed on the rules before judging': Club Brugge v Atalanta main official responds to Gasperini's VAR comments
The issue of refereeing remains extremely heated after days of intense debate over various incidents left over from the last Serie A Matchday, further inflamed by the controversial penalty awarded yesterday by Turkish referee Meler in favour of Brugges and against Atalanta.
A decision that cost a defeat in the first leg of the Champions League playoffs sent black-and-blue coach Gian Piero Gasperini into a fury, and he vented immediately after the match:
"Italian refereeing decisions are infecting football in general. Everyone now has a completely different view on fouls – handballs spark controversy, but sometimes it's really difficult. The real drama is in the physical contact. The vast majority of players shout and scream, all intent on fouling. I don't know who is steering the current direction – surely it's only a few – but it has nothing to do with the game of football. I no longer know the rules. Everyone should get on the same page – even the broadcasters – because then these things become a free-for-all. Maybe someone will even say that Hien made contact. Refereeing is now completely detached from everything that even the players say. This is a sport completely different from what it has been for centuries." Gasperini said.
