War Of Words Between Inter And Napoli Continues After Recent Draw

Written By Onyeka Daniel

It’s been three days after the eventful 1-1 draw at the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium between Inter Milan and Napoli, reigning Serie A champions and the former Champions, but the fall out from that encounter is still raging on, over the penalty that was given to the Nerazzurri, which Hakan Calhanoglu missed. For Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis, he has hit back at Inter Milan President, Beppe Marotta.

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He issued a statement to Marotta’s recent assessment of Maurizio Mariani’s decision to award a penalty in that fateful match. Mariani pointed to the spot in the 74th minute after Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa’s tackle on Denzel Dumfries. Though the contact was thin, VAR refused to call the main referee to review the incident on the side-pitch monitor. However, Hakan Calhanoglu missed from the spot.

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His first penalty miss in the Nerazzurri jersey after putting away all the previous 19. Despite the result, Antonio Conte lashed out at match officials in his post-match conference. Then Inter responded. Marotta replied to Conte, saying the penalty was ‘unquestionable,’ but it didn’t go well with De Laurentiis. “I read from Los Angeles some statements by Marotta which, in my opinion, are out of place,” the statement read.

“The penalty, according to the overwhelming majority of observers, was non-existent. “But above all, Conte’s words were clear and are exactly what I think and have always said: VAR is a great resource to avoid refereeing errors. “It makes no sense to say that it can intervene sometimes and not others. “If there’s a refereeing error, the VAR officials must call the referee. “Otherwise, you hinder the growth of football, and suspicions will grow.

“Furthermore, referees are already in direct contact with VAR. “Why shouldn’t they receive indications from those who can see what happens on the pitch with the help of technology? Conte has expressed essential concepts, the same ones I have been advocating for years! “It’s necessary to ensure that suspicions and doubts are not fueled. And respect, as Rocchi emphasized, must be mutual to avoid, as he said, igniting the league.

“It should also be noted that referees must be free from any psychological conditioning, which often exists between on-field referees and VAR referees. “I believe it’s evident to everyone the need to refine the VAR regulations to prevent inconsistent decisions, which, I repeat, would only fuel the theory of doubt. “Moreover, it’s well-known that on-field referees are often not in favor of interventions by VAR officials because corrections to their decisions diminish their autonomy and credibility.

“However, in the face of glaring incidents and obvious errors, VAR must intervene, at least by calling the referee to review the incident on the monitor. “This is for the good of football.” He further added. Already, Conte has been called out for his biased view on the use of VAR after failing to speak when his team was awarded a soft penalty against Empoli, a match that they won courtesy of the lone goal from the said penalty decision.

In a related development, Simone Inzaghi and Conte shared the limelight as the joint-highest-paid head coaches in Serie A ahead of Thiago Motta. According to Calcio e Finanza, the Inter and Napoli managers sit on top of the pile, with the Juventus boss lagging well behind. Inter hired Simone Inzaghi in 2021 after an eye-catching stint at Lazio. The 48-year-old replaced Antonio Conte, who left Giuseppe Meazza less than a month after winning the Scudetto.

Little did anyone know Inzaghi would become one of the most highly-rated coaches during his three-year spell at Inter. Indeed, the former Lazio manager has won six major domestic titles at Meazza, including last year’s Scudetto. Furthermore, Inzaghi guided the Nerazzurri to the UEFA Champions League final in 2023. Despite losing to Manchester City in Istanbul, he has established himself as one of the best in business.

As for Conte, he returned to Italian football after three years this summer to take charge of the Partenopei. It’s hardly surprising he’s well-compensated for his services. He earns around €6.5 million net per season, which puts him on a par with Conte. However, for the former Inter Milan Juventus, Chelsea and Spurs coach, his salary could grow when factoring in several performance-related bonuses.

Following a disastrous 2023/24, where they failed to qualify for any European competition after winning the Scudetto, De Laurentiis knew he needed an experienced manager to turn Napoli’s fortunes around. Therefore, he chose Conte to orchestrate a turnaround of fortune at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. Given Conte’s household status, the Napoli bigwig had to open up his checkbook to capture his signature, while also backing him up in the transfer market.

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His arrival has proved a massive coup. Napoli entered November’s international break as the Serie A leaders, boasting a one-point lead on Inter. Meanwhile, Motta, who signed a contract with Juventus worth €3.5m per year, has yet to lose a league game this term. But his team still trails Napoli by two points. League action is expected to resume after the break, and the next few matches could help determine the main contenders for the Serie A title race.

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