Vaciago chastises Juventus-Cagliari referee: “Players like Conceicao must be protected” | OneFootball

Italian journalist Guido Vaciago wasn’t a fan of Livio Marinelli’s performance during yesterday’s Serie A outing between Juventus and Cagliari.

The match official awarded a spot-kick for each team following a VAR review, and both were considered dubious.

Nevertheless, the most controversial call in the 1-1 draw was showing Francisco Conceicao the second yellow card for simulation.

This left Juventus with a man down in the final minutes, which almost culminated in their first defeat under the guidance of Thiago Motta.

For his part, Vaciago insists Marinelli had it all wrong on that particular call.

The Tuttosport editor-in-chief notes how the referee failed to protect the tricky Conceicao who suffered several fouls at the hands of his markers, as it all went unpunished.

The Italian journalist feels that such antics will cause harm to Serie A as a whole.

“Players like Francisco Coinceiçao need to be protected,” argued Vaciago in his column via IlBianconero.

“Yesterday, this wasn’t the case, because the terrible Marinelli did exactly the opposite of what he was supposed to do.

“Conceiçao suffered five fouls, was continuously mistreated by the Cagliari defenders and he tolerated it, without ever showing a card.

“But when Conceiçao committed a foul, he immediately showed him the yellow card and then concluded in glory with the non-existent booking for simulation that cost the expulsion (and therefore the disqualification) of the Portuguese.

“If a league like ours, in which champions are scarce and the spectacle suffers, does not protect the players who dribble their man and ignite the imagination of the fans, we can calmly prepare for a not-too-slow extinction of the already cracked myth of Serie A.

“And the presumptuous Marinelli can be proud of having given his deleterious contribution, with that indignant rush of someone who is going to punish murder, without the humility to ask or review.

“Perhaps he would have discovered that Obert had grabbed Conceicao’s collar,” concluded Vaciago.