Udinese director: ‘It was a clear dive by Immobile’

Udinese director Pierpaolo Marino was incensed with their 1-0 defeat to Lazio, accusing striker Ciro Immobile of diving to win a penalty. The Bianconeri director was speaking with DAZN after the match, and didn’t hide his anger and frustration at the loss, accusing the referee of being influenced by the Lazio bench and Immobile of diving to win the game-deciding penalty:

“We are angry, enraged, a game in the balance was decided by a penalty that was a clear simulation. We are still at the time that between the referee and the VAR, you can’t correct a mistake for a penalty that doesn’t exist. That’s what we regret.”

“It is a clear simulation by Immobile, because there was no reason to fall there. Then at halftime there are those on the opposing staff who should have been ejected for arguing with the referee and trying to condition him, but these were still on the bench in the second half. Thus the direction of the match went one way. Today we did not like the referee’s direction, and I hope it will never happen again to us or to others, because in Var time it is unacceptable.”