In the aftermath of Como’s 2-1 loss to Juventus in Serie A’s 24th round, Como manager Cesc Fàbregas voiced his dissatisfaction with the officiating, particularly regarding a crucial penalty decision.
Despite the defeat, Fàbregas expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance, stating, “I’m pleased with the performance, and we didn’t deserve to lose this match. We played very strongly for 60 minutes.”
However, the Spanish coach’s main point of contention was the refereeing decisions, especially the penalty awarded to Juventus. “There are things you can’t fight against. I’m referring to the penalty. Douvikas chests the ball, controls it, and goes in front of the goalkeeper. It’s an incredible opportunity to win, but we go home with zero points,” Fàbregas explained.
He further elaborated on his frustrations, citing previous incidents: “I’m not staying quiet because this has happened many times. Against Lazio, Gigot made a bad tackle on Nico Paz.”
Fàbregas also referenced other matches where he felt his team was on the wrong end of decisions: “There was a clear foul against Milan, but nothing was done. I’m saying it’s enough: I have to defend Como. We are 80,000 people, and that’s it.”
The former Arsenal and Barcelona midfielder expressed doubts about the use of VAR in such situations: “The referee might not see it, but when it goes to VAR, doubts creep into my mind. Doubts about how the match is being managed.”
In conclusion, Fàbregas called for fairness in officiating: “We’re only asking for a bit of justice, that’s all. I’ve been here for two and a half years. I’m not attacking Italian football. I’m just saying that in football, this is either a penalty or it’s not. I believe in VAR, but only when it’s managed well.”
