Fabregas Outraged Over Denied Penalty in Como’s Loss to Juventus
Cesc Fabregas expressed intense frustration following Como’s controversial 2-1 loss to Juventus, where his team was denied what he believed to be a clear penalty. The incident has led Fabregas to question the consistency and effectiveness of VAR in football.
Despite suffering their third consecutive defeat, Como delivered a performance that Fabregas felt deserved more. The match saw Randal Kolo Muani open the scoring for Juventus against the run of play, which was later equalized by Assane Diao just before halftime.
Fabregas praised his team’s strong 60-minute performance but highlighted a crucial moment when Federico Gatti appeared to handle the ball, preventing a Como player from controlling it with his chest. The incident, which was reviewed but not penalized by VAR, particularly angered Fabregas.
“There’s no other interpretation – it’s a very clear penalty,” Fabregas stated. “Without the hand touch, our player would have had a clear goal-scoring opportunity. It’s frustrating to go home with zero points after such incidents.”
The Como manager went on to list several other controversial decisions from recent matches that he felt had gone against his team. He emphasized the need for consistency in VAR decisions, suggesting that the current inconsistency is detrimental to football.
“I’m not attacking Italian football specifically, but football in general,” Fabregas clarified. “We need clear guidelines on what constitutes a penalty. This inconsistency is making VAR bad for football. I believe in VAR when it’s used correctly.”
Fabregas also touched on Como’s ongoing injury crisis, which worsened during the match. Despite these challenges and the controversial refereeing decisions, Como nearly equalized in stoppage time when Alberto Dossena’s header struck the crossbar.
The former Arsenal and Barcelona midfielder’s impassioned comments reflect growing concerns about the implementation of VAR and its impact on the fairness of the game, particularly for smaller clubs like Como.