Controversy rained down in a manner than threatened to create a flood. Juventus were forced to accept a 1-1 draw with Genoa Saturday night despite throwing everything but the kitchen sink at their opponents. The away side proved difficult to penetrate as they defended valiantly, held on tightly and marked diligently to claim a point amidst an eruption of chaos that took place at the end.
Referee Marco Guida didn't exactly have the night of his life. He failed to award a penalty to Genoa in the first half and ignored the most blatant pull on Mirko Vucinic's shirt in the second. The referee, who Juventus CEO Beppe Marotta reminded us was of Neapolitan descent, has since been subjected to criticism and digital abuse. His Italian Wikipedia page described him as a "son of a (expletive)" before the offending words were edited out. Juventus are not happy. Their fans are not happy. And the resulting venom they have since expelled has made others unhappy.
While Juve manager Antonio Conte explained himself and his comments, Marotta was truly embarrassing with his choice of words after the match. By reminding us where the referee was from, he clearly implied what was done was done in order to allow Napoli to benefit. Genoa president Enrico Preziosi was quick to furiously demand: “Where is Lo stile Juve (the Juve style)?” Whilst Preziosi can hardly claim to be a saint himself, he was right.
This outraged behaviour ought to be beneath a Juventus club who sit atop Serie A and boast a history of success and elegance. Marotta’s comments were simply out of line even if they were expressed with overwhelming emotion.
The last penalty claim is what appears to have created the most fuss. Andreas Granqvist most certainly handled the ball in the area but opinion was divided over what should have happened in accordance to the rules. In Spain, any handball that occurs in the box results in a penalty and a yellow card as evidenced in Sunday’s match between Barcelona and Osasuna.
In Italy some argued that there was no need for Granqvist to have his arms so outstretched whilst others insisted it was hardly deliberate as he kicked the ball on to his arm. The debate lasted an eternity on Italian sky as former players and journalists argued their points, yet no one could agree if a penalty should have been awarded.
Antonio Conte didn’t care. He maintained that while he accepts mistakes can be made, as it’s human to err, he did not accept the referee telling him ‘he wasn’t ready to award a penalty’. The official in charge has since denied uttering those words.
Was the last penalty claim legitimate or not? Have Juventus been unfairly penalised? The truth is that it really ought not to matter. Juventus attacked the entire game and yet only managed a few clear-cut chances they predictably failed to convert. While they may have been unlucky with Sebastian Giovinco hitting the post, their loss has little to do with refereeing errors but with the absence of a clinical striker able to exploit opportunities.
Throughout the first half of the match Fabio Quagliarella struggled to escape the clutches of his marker who always got to the ball first while Mirko Vucinic’s slow reactions to pounce on rebounds coupled with his frequent ability to lose the ball resulted in the squandering of great build-up play. In the second half, Juventus camped in the final third, yet every move was concentrated down the middle. Genoa found it easy to simply swarm around the Bianconeri forwards to win back possession.
Rather than stretching the opponents’ back-line to create gaps in the middle for the Bianconeri runners to exploit, Juventus concentrated on intricate passages of play that were always going to end badly simply because Genoa defended in numbers.
Genoa manager Davide Ballardini had insisted upon an intense performance in hopes of restricting the quality of Juventus’ play and his men responded. Defending in numbers, pressuring intensely and closing down space, they suffocated the Old Lady. Their defensive organisation was to be respected but in essence they played a poor game that saw them take few risks. They accepted their limited quality, and rather than take Juve on as equals, they played a defensive game that made for poor viewing.
Fortunately for Juventus, they do not have much time to dwell on their perceived injustices. A Coppa Italia semifinal against Lazio awaits them Tuesday night and on this occasion, only a win will suffice.
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