‘An absolute joke’: Roma furious over referee’s decisions
ROME — First it was Juventus. Now it’s Roma.
Both Italian clubs were eliminated from the Champions League following questionable decisions by the referee. And both are demanding that the video assistant referee (VAR) be installed immediately in the top club competition.
The VAR has already been introduced in Serie A this season and will also be used at the upcoming World Cup in Russia for the first time.
“There were two clear penalties not given — and a red card,” Roma sporting director Monchi said after the Giallorossi were eliminated from the semifinals on 7-6 aggregate despite a 4-2 win over Liverpool on Wednesday.
“The time has come for Italian football to raise its voice. Well done to Liverpool, of course. But these things need to be reviewed. I do not understand why VAR is not used in the most important club competition there is.”
Roma protested to no avail for a hand ball on Dejan Lovren in the first half, a potential penalty committed on Edin Dzeko after the break, then a clear handball by Trent Alexander-Arnold shortly after the hour mark.
“You just can’t let stuff like this go,” Roma’s American president Jim Pallotta said. “The handball (on Alexander-Arnold) was obvious to probably everyone in the world except the referee on the pitch.
“If we don’t get VAR in the Champions League stuff like this is just an absolute joke.”
Less than a month ago, Juventus was fuming over the penalty that resulted in its elimination from the quarterfinals.
English referee Michael Oliver called the penalty in the third and final minute of stoppage time, leading to Cristiano Ronaldo’s goal that meant Real Madrid advanced on 4-3 aggregate.
“We’ve got the technology to avoid these mistakes,” Juventus president Andrea Agnelli said at the time. “UEFA isn’t against the VAR, it just has a technical problem that needs to be resolved. If the problem is instructing the referees from all of the federations then let’s take some of them aside and set up a quick course.”