Gasperini Criticizes Refereeing in Atalanta's 2-0 Loss to Inter

In the Italian Super Cup semi-final, Atalanta suffered a 2-0 defeat against Inter Milan, leading to strong criticism from head coach Gian Piero Gasperini regarding the officiating. Gasperini contended that Inter's first goal should have been disallowed due to a foul by Denzel Dumfries on Giorgio Scalvini, which was overlooked by both the referee and the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).

Gasperini stated, "The game changed with that strange goal. It was an unusual corner with Stefan de Vrij obstructing our goalkeeper's view and a clear foul by Dumfries on Scalvini." He further criticized the inconsistency in officiating, noting that while Atalanta's goal underwent an extensive seven-minute VAR review before being disallowed, similar scrutiny was not applied to Inter's contentious goal.

Despite the defeat, Gasperini found positives in his team's performance, especially in the second half where they created several scoring opportunities. He emphasized the necessity of squad rotation, mentioning that key players like Ademola Lookman and Charles De Ketelaere cannot be expected to play all 56 matches in a season without rest. Gasperini concluded by expressing satisfaction with the contributions of players who have had fewer opportunities, suggesting that their involvement bodes well for the team's depth in future competitions.