Italian Media Hit Out At ‘Incompetent’ Referee After Inter Milan V Liverpool Penalty Drama
Felix Zwayer pointed to the spot after Florian Wirtz's shirt was tugged back.
The referee who awarded Liverpool a controversial penalty against Inter Milan has been branded “incompetent”.
Liverpool Penalty Decision ‘Laughable’
Dominik Szoboszlai scored the dramatic winner from the spot in the 88th minute after Felix Zwayer penalised Alessandro Bastoni for an apparent tug on the back of Florian Wirtz’s shirt.
Replays showed Bastoni had indeed grabbed hold of the playmaker, but the hosts were aggrieved with the decision, believing the contact hadn’t been enough to send him down to the ground.
Pundits, including former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg, admitted Arne Slot’s heavyweights were fortunate to have been given the rub of the green, while Fabio Capello said the call was “scandalous”.
Inter did benefit from VAR intervention during the first half, with the technology wheeled out to help disallow Ibrahima Konate’s header after a handball during a penalty area melee.
However, an array of Italian outlets lined up this morning to criticise the standard of officiating.
Damningly, Corriere dello Sport labelled Zwayer and his VAR team “incompetent”. They wrote: “Bastoni’s naivety is perhaps matched only by the referee’s and VAR’s incompetence.
“The shirt-snatching on Wirtz is laughable, and it wears off before the German player’s tantrum, as he falls to the ground as soon as he feels his shirt is being dropped.
“Zwayer lets play continue, and VAR steps in where it shouldn’t.”
La Gazzetta dello Sport, meanwhile, said the game was affected by a “VAR error”.
“The key moment came with five minutes to go,” the publication wrote. “Bastoni held onto Wirtz’s shirt, a gesture that wasn’t repeated or overwhelming. The call was excessive, and so was the penalty awarded.”
Szoboszlai from the spot! ⚽️
Liverpool are minutes away from a HUGE win at the San Siro 🔴 pic.twitter.com/Vjnz43sB9R
— Prime Video Sport UK (@primevideosport) December 9, 2025
Manuel Akanji Criticises Penalty
Inter defender Manuel Akanji insisted Liverpool were given “one of the softest penalties” he has ever seen.
He told CBS Sports: “The penalty situation, I mean, he pulls his shirt, but it’s a soft pull. Obviously, if you watch everything in slow motion, everything looks far worse than it actually is.
“The player runs away from the goal and he pulls his shirt a bit. It’s one of the softest penalties I’ve ever seen.
“But in the end we have to be honest, we can’t get in the position to give the referee an opportunity to even whistle for a penalty there. For me, it’s never a pen.”
Later, Slot admitted Akanji’s performance had impressed him.
Why Was The Penalty Awarded?
According to officating expert Dale Johnson, Wirtz would not have been given a penalty in the Premier League. However, the rules are different in European competitions, meaning ‘softer’ incidents can be penalised.
“Liverpool might have been hard done by through the first VAR intervention for handball but they benefitted this time,” Johnson said, via the BBC. “Again, it was the different interpretation between UEFA and the Premier League.
“In England, the tug on Wirtz’s shirt would have been seen as fleeting, or inconsequential. In the Champions League, it’s enough for a VAR penalty.”
Dan Davis
Dan is an experienced sports journalist and part-time lecturer. An expert on Serie A and Italian football, he has produced content for the likes of the Daily Mail, Reach PLC, GiveMeSport, FourFourTwo and GRV Media. While Channel 4's iconic Football Italia was a bit before his time, the nostalgia - and pastries - fuelled his love of all things Calcio.
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