Former Serie A referee: ‘Doubts over Pisa penalty at Milan but not worthy of VAR overrule’

DAZN refereeing analyst Luca Marelli expressed doubts over the penalty awarded to Pisa in their 2-2 draw with Milan at San Siro, questioning whether the handball by Koni De Winter met the threshold for a clear infringement.

The referee awarded the spot-kick after the ball struck the defender’s arm, prompting strong protests from Milan players, who argued that De Winter’s movement was natural and not an attempt to play the ball.

Marelli admitted the episode was far from clear-cut. “It’s an incident that leaves me perplexed,” he explained, via MilanNews.

“It’s true the arm is wide at the moment of contact and not attached to the body, but we must also consider the movement, which is closing in towards the torso and not towards the ball.”

The former referee argued that, while the decision on the field was debatable, it did not reach the VAR standard for intervention.

“This episode leaves a lot of doubt, but not a clear and obvious error. If I were the VAR, I would not have intervened.”

The decision ultimately allowed Pisa to equalise from the spot, a moment that shifted momentum in a match Milan would later struggle to close out.