Inter CEO Beppe Marotta found humor in coach Cristian Chivu’s remarks, emphasizing that Inter should be “ambitious without being arrogant.” However, he acknowledged the potential uproar had a controversial penalty awarded to Como been decisive.
The Nerazzurri further solidified their nine-point lead at the top of Serie A with a dramatic 4-3 comeback victory against Como, after trailing 2-0 at the Stadio Sinigaglia.
“The match between Como and Inter was, first and foremost, a fantastic showcase for Italian football,” Marotta told reporters at a Lega Serie A meeting in Milan. “Inter earned their victory through the quality displayed by a team that has proven its worth as a protagonist this season.”
When questioned about the Scudetto race, Chivu, in a lighthearted jab at Napoli’s Antonio Conte and Milan’s Max Allegri, joked that Champions League qualification was the true aim, a common response from coaches in Italy.
“It was a joke to highlight the recent tendency in Italy to shy away from bold objectives,” Marotta explained. “Instead, Inter must be bold and consistently strive for the highest possible outcomes. This is integral to the DNA of a winning club; we must be ambitious without being arrogant.”
Inter was leading 4-2 when Lucas Da Cunha converted a late penalty, setting up a tense finish. However, the incident itself was contentious.
The referee initially awarded a free-kick for Ange-Yoan Bonny’s sliding tackle on Nico Paz just outside the penalty area. VAR, however, intervened and signaled that the contact occurred inside the box, leading to the penalty award.
Many refereeing analysts pointed out that VAR should have prompted the referee to review the incident on the monitor, as it appeared Nico Paz, in his follow-through, kicked Bonny rather than the other way around.
“I believe everyone agreed it wasn’t a penalty, and we weren’t overly concerned because we still won. But imagine the outcry if that penalty had changed the outcome,” Marotta stated. “We would be here lamenting. Mistakes occur throughout a campaign, and this season, there seem to be more than usual. I hope this encourages a better synergy between VAR and the referees.”