Aleandro Di Paolo, the man in charge of VAR in Milan’s game against Lazio, will be suspended by AIA after ordering an on-field review for a non-punishable handball.
For about 95 minutes, the game between Milan and Lazio was a rather dull one, with both sides struggling to create chances. Indeed, Rafael Leao’s goal in the 62nd minute looked like it was going to be enough, then drama entered the frame.
In the final minute of stoppage time, the former Milan player Alessio Romagnoli fired a shot towards goal, which was blocked by Strahinja Pavlovic. The ball touched the Serbian’s elbow and after a few minutes, the referee was called out to do an on-field review.
Suspension awaits Di Paolo
However, as reported by Corriere della Sera this afternoon (via MilanNews), the VAR referee Aleandro Di Paolo never should have ordered the on-field review in the first place. Indeed, the AIA top brass (Italian Referees Association) believes Pavlovic’s handball wasn’t punishable and certainly didn’t warrant a penalty.
Photos by Marco Rosi – SS Lazio/Getty Images and Errori Arbitrali
Subsequently, the fact that Di Paolo ordered an on-field review almost resulted in the head referee, Giuseppe Collu, making an incorrect decision. As we all know, the whole purpose of having VAR is to ensure the referee makes the right decision, not the opposite.
Per the newspaper, given how serious the error was, Di Paolo will now be sidelined by AIA for at least one matchday. It will likely be more, and when he returns, he won’t do so as the main referee in charge of VAR.