Juventus coach Igor Tudor expresses frustration with referee Antonio Rapuano’s decisions in the 1-1 draw against Verona, citing a ‘shameful’ penalty call and a missed red card incident.
Juventus coach Igor Tudor was furious with the refereeing in their 1-1 draw against Verona, highlighting two contentious incidents that he believes significantly impacted the game. The match saw Juventus take the lead through Francisco Conceicao’s goal, only for Verona to equalise with a penalty scored by Gift Orban.
Tudor strongly criticised the penalty decision, which was awarded against Joao Mario for handball. “The penalty that was given is shameful,” Tudor said. “How can you… if someone doesn’t see the ball, what is he supposed to do?” He added that such penalties don’t exist in football and implied that only those who have never played the sport would make such calls.
The Croatian coach also took issue with the lack of a red card for Verona’s Orban, who elbowed Juventus player Federico Gatti in the face. Tudor, who claimed he was right next to the incident, expressed his disappointment, saying, “I mean, if you don’t give a red for that, I don’t know what you give a red for.” He described the incident as a “disgrace” and emphasized that with VAR, such decisions should not be made.
Tudor’s frustration with the refereeing was palpable, and he doubled down on his comments, stating that such questionable decisions should not decide matches. Despite the controversy, Tudor also acknowledged that his team lacked energy, which he attributed to their busy schedule.
The draw means Juventus remains unbeaten but drops their first points of the season. Verona, on the other hand, secures a valuable point and moves up the table.
