Cesari criticizes Doveri: the yellow card for Thuram didn't make sense

A mystery that should never have existed. In the replay analysis on Pressing, Graziano Cesari targeted the refereeing of Daniele Doveri in Bologna–Inter, focusing on the 60th-minute incident in which Thuram was booked for simulation instead of being awarded a penalty.

“Doveri was much less precise than usual,” said Cesari. “At the 60th minute he booked Thuram for simulation and that’s a situation that doesn’t exist. There was contact with Darmian and Doveri decisively gave the yellow card. When there is contact, there can never be simulation, and there was definitely contact.”

The former referee analyst then addressed the issue of VAR intervention: “VAR cannot intervene on the disciplinary measure in this case, but it can intervene on the penalty. If it had been a second yellow card, however, it should have intervened by removing the yellow and awarding the penalty.” Cesari broadened the reflection to an even more delicate hypothesis: what would have happened if the player had been one booking away from suspension.

To support his thesis, the expert recalled a previous refereeing case: “When it happened to Oristanio, Orsato said: it was a penalty. Exactly the same thing.”