Lazio vs Inter: Debating the Penalty and Inzaghi’s Tactics

According to the rulebook, it was indeed a penalty. However, in an “ideal football world,” expecting defenders to jump with arms glued to their sides like penguins or avoid ball contact when turning their back is unrealistic. In this perfect scenario, other sanctions like the infamous “step on foot” seem trivial compared to what a penalty should represent – the “maximum punishment” as it was once called.

Nowadays, even actions with clear mitigating circumstances, including a defender’s inability to avoid arm contact, are punished with the harshest penalty. As the late Vujadin Boskov used to say, “A penalty is when the referee whistles,” attempting to diffuse controversies that are now dangerously close to the decisive moments of the championship.

However, focusing solely on this incident would be a disservice to Inter’s truly impressive performance. While the match dynamics shifted – both physically and psychologically – after the penalty, Lazio had held their ground admirably for half an hour. Then they vanished, collapsed, and were ultimately humiliated.

This raises another debate: Should Inzaghi have slowed his team’s advances? Is more respect required in certain situations? This topic is too broad for a brief answer, but generally, sports ethics dictate respecting the defeated opponent by competing fully until the end, regardless of the score. Stopping at 3 or 4-0 could be considered less respectful than continuing until the last goal, like Thuram’s.