Slovak midfielder Stanislav Lobotka found himself at the centre of a refereeing debate following Napoli’s dramatic 3–2 victory over Inter Milan in Italy.
One of the most controversial moments came inside Inter’s penalty area during the build-up to Napoli’s opening goal. The incident involved Lobotka and Inter midfielder Nicolò Barella, with footage appearing to suggest that the ball may have touched Lobotka’s outstretched hand.
However, referee Simone Sozza allowed play to continue, while VAR did not intervene. Napoli then launched a counter-attack that ended with Matteo Politano scoring, prompting protests from Inter players.
DAZN referee expert Luca Marelli later analysed the incident and said the available footage was inconclusive. Although Lobotka’s arm was extended, Marelli said it was impossible to determine with certainty whether the ball actually made contact with his hand.
According to Marelli, the lack of conclusive evidence means the incident cannot be classified as a clear and demonstrable refereeing or VAR error. The moment therefore remains a subject of debate rather than a confirmed handball offence.
Another contentious incident came in the 82nd minute when Inter equalised through Marcus Thuram. Napoli defender Amir Rrahmani was on the ground directly in front of goalkeeper Alex Meret when Thuram headed the ball into the net. Sozza allowed the goal to stand, while Marelli considered Rrahmani’s fall insufficient to warrant a foul.
Inter eventually completed a remarkable comeback from two goals down, with captain Lautaro Martínez scoring twice late in the match to secure the victory for Cristian Chivu’s side.
Despite the result, the post-match discussion focused heavily on the refereeing decisions. Marelli’s assessment suggested that the available images did not provide enough evidence to conclusively establish an error in the disputed Lobotka incident.