Inter coach Antonio Conte will not be on the bench against Benevento and Fiorentina as the sports judge handed him a two-match suspension and a €20k fine following a heated exchange with referee Fabio Maresca near the end of the Udinese tilt. Team manager Gabriele Oriali has been disqualified for one game as well.
The judge motivated the punishment saying that the manager protested vehemently for the short stoppage time and repeatedly yelled at the official after getting booked, thus earning a red card. Moreover, after the final whistle, Conte approached Maresca in threatening manner in the tunnel that leads to the locker room, loudly insulting him again. According to Corriere della Sera, the referee uttered the phrase: “You must accept when you do not win”, which fueled further objections. Oriali has been banned for directing disrespectful remarks at the referee and will have to pay €5k.
The gaffer also lamented the fact that Inter some history with Maresca due some episodes in previous matches, for instance in the Parma contest, where he was the VAR assistant and the Nerazzurri claimed a penalty kick. They also believe Tolgay Arslan should have been red carded in the first half of the Saturday bout.
Conte and Maresca reportedly met after the match to smooth things over as suggested by CEO Giuseppe Marotta, which led to calmer words by the gaffer in the post-game: “I disagreed with the four-minute stoppage time, it was too little for how much time was wasted in the second half. In any case, the referee makes his decisions and we must accept them, even though we dissent at times.” Inter will now have to decide whether to appeal against the decision or not.