Serie A Round 29: Could Inter Lose the Scudetto Due to Refereeing?

Controversy over referee decisions continues in Inter Milan's Serie A matches, this time more intense and potentially impacting the entire season of the black-and-blue striped team. Inter has banned media access to protest the refereeing community.

There were two incidents that left Inter furious with referee Gianluca Manganiello's decisions in the 1-1 draw against Atalanta in Serie A Round 29. First, Atalanta's equalizing goal in the 83rd minute was allowed, and then two kicks on Inter players in Atalanta's penalty area were not awarded as penalties.

Another Refereeing Controversy

In the first incident, Inter defender Denzel Dumfries fell during a challenge with midfielder Kamal Sulemana, who then shot, the ball bounced off goalkeeper Yann Sommer's hand, and Nikola Krstovic scored on the rebound. Inter players and coach Cristian Chivu protested vehemently, claiming Dumfries was pushed from behind. However, after a lengthy VAR review, Manganiello upheld the goal. Chivu even received a red card for his overly aggressive reaction, showing the tension exceeded the control of a normally calm coach.

The peak of controversy was the incident in the 87th minute. Midfielder Davide Frattesi was kicked by Giorgio Scalvini right in front of Atalanta's goal, but the referee ignored it. Immediately afterward, Ederson stepped on Dumfries' foot, yet Manganiello penalized the Inter player. Slow-motion video showed clear illegal contacts, but this time VAR did not even intervene. According to former referee Luca Marelli, contact occurred, but Frattesi touched the ball first, and his leg was coming down naturally, making the contact with Scalvini's leg not considered intentional. Meanwhile, according to Corriere dello Sport, Inter's opening goal should also be reviewed, as Dumfries' hand affected Sead Kolasinac's head during the attack.

Is Inter the Victim or the Culprit?

Debate also erupted on media and social networks after the match. Besides opinions criticizing the poor quality of refereeing in Italy currently, a segment, mainly Inter fans, believe there is a conspiracy against this team, unwilling to let Inter win the Scudetto. However, many also argue that what Inter is suffering is the consequence of a scandal they themselves caused in the 3-2 win over Juventus exactly one month ago.

Specifically, in that match, Inter center-back Alessandro Bastoni "acted" causing Juventus defender Pierre Kalulu to receive a second yellow card (resulting in a red) unjustly. Notably, if referee Federico La Penna had judged more accurately, Bastoni himself should have received the second yellow, while this was a situation VAR was not allowed to intervene. The image of Bastoni celebrating immediately as the referee showed the card to Kalulu led to heavy criticism of the player's moral and sporting values, creating a much stronger social impact than just a card. It is believed this incident made referees more vigilant about Inter's plays and tend to avoid decisions that increase tension in favor of Inter.

Risk of Losing the Scudetto?

It cannot be said Inter would have scored if awarded a penalty, thus having a chance to win against Atalanta and maintain a 7-point gap with Milan. But clearly, being repeatedly placed in what they see as disadvantageous situations by referees certainly negatively impacts this team's psychology for the rest of the season. In the previous round, they also unsuccessfully demanded a penalty late in the 0-1 loss to Milan after a handball by Samuele Ricci in the box.

Inter immediately boycotted media after the final whistle. No press conference, no complaints, no accusations. They consider complete silence as the most intense form of protest against those responsible, before taking more concrete, stronger actions. Nerazzurri are doing everything possible to support coach Chivu and his squad, who are undoubtedly experiencing significant psychological distress. If Milan defeats Lazio in the late Round 29 match (played early this morning), the gap will shrink to just 5 points, and the Scudetto race will definitely reopen. Regardless, feelings of frustration and being targeted will make Inter face additional difficulties in upcoming matches deemed very tough.

Next round, Chivu's team must play at Fiorentina's stadium - a team struggling to avoid relegation - followed by two consecutive matches against Roma and Como, teams fighting hard for a Top 4 spot. If they continue to drop points, Inter could very likely lose the Scudetto.