In the aftermath of Empoli’s 1-0 defeat to Napoli, the club’s sporting director Roberto Gemmi stepped in for manager Roberto D’Aversa, who was indisposed, to address the media. Gemmi’s comments focused primarily on the controversial penalty decision that ultimately decided the match.
Speaking to DAZN, Gemmi strongly contested referee Rosario Abisso’s decision to award Napoli a penalty for an alleged foul by Tino Anjorin on Matteo Politano. “There is no contact between Anjorin and Politano. There is space between the two feet. In my opinion, it’s not a penalty, or it falls into the category of soft penalties that they said should be evaluated differently,” Gemmi stated.
The sporting director went on to express his bewilderment at the decision, noting the unusual reaction from the typically calm Empoli supporters. “Even in the first half, the Empoli crowd, which is usually quiet, was irritated by decisions that were not in line. I don’t understand this penalty,” he added.
Despite the disappointing result, Gemmi expressed satisfaction with Empoli’s performance against the Serie A leaders. “We are content. We did everything possible to stay in the game, and we were. As for Anjorin, we are pleased with what he’s doing. We were smart to enter into an operation that we could do. We knew his qualities and found the conditions to be able to sign him,” Gemmi concluded.
This incident has once again brought the ongoing debate about penalty decisions and VAR implementation in Serie A to the forefront, with Empoli clearly feeling aggrieved by the match-deciding call.
