Spezia v Lazio referees suspended for allowing offside goal

BeSoccer 1 year ago 1.1k |

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Acerbi scored the winning goal against Lazio despite being in an offside position. AFP

Referee Luca Pairetto and Luigi Nasca, the VAR, of the game between Spezia and Lazio played last Saturday, have been suspended after allowing an offside goal. Francesco Acerbi netted the winning goal despite clearly being in an offside position.

The referees who took charge of the match between Spezia and Lazio (3-4), corresponding to matchday 35 in Serie A, has been suspended for awarded Lazio's winning goal when Acerbi was offside.

The Italian defender Francesco Acerbi gave Lazio the winning goal, a goal which should have been disallowed by the VAR, but it was given and it allowed Lazio to close the gap on Jose Mourinho's Roma in the battle for a European spot. Both teams now have 59 points after Roma's 0-0 draw with Bologna.

Local media report that referee Luca Pairetto and VAR Luigi Nasca will not referee again for the rest of the season.

After the draw between Roma and Bologna, which meant both teams were level on points in the battle for Europe, Mourinho slammed the referee in the Lazio game.

"In 22 years I've been a coach, there are two things that haven't changed: the questions over who played and who didn't, and the possibility of winning with an offside goal. It was possible 22 years ago and it's still possible now, like last Saturday. Everything changes in football, but not these two things," the Portuguese coach said.

After these comments, Lazio published an official statement to defend themselves against being allegedly helped by referees.