Benevento owner Oreste Vigorito slammed Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni, claiming that the referee has a personal vendetta against the clubs from Southern Italy. The official worked the VAR in yesterday’s pivotal clash with Cagliari and suggested first official Paolo Doveri change his mind on a contact between Kwadwo Asamoah and Nicolas Viola, which was initially ruled to be a penalty kick. The Sanniti would have equalized late in the second half if they converted it.
The chairman told SportMediaset: “When they want to kill a side from Southern Italy, they send Mazzoleni. He does not even know how to watch a screen. I think that, considering today’s instruments, football should do away with philosophical arguments and just look at the pictures.”
“Everybody saw but him. I have never spoken about referees before, but I got some text messages from Naples, and they told me it is a recurring thing with Mazzoleni. We can remove the VAR at this point, it has become a justification for their screw-ups. We are losing a year of sacrifices because of him, while he just sits there in front of the TV and changes the decision on the pitch. It is a shame.” Sporting director Pasquale Foggia was pictured confronting the referee while he was leaving the premises on his car and yelling: “You have a dirty conscience.”
After losing five of the last six matches, Benevento dropped to the 18th position. Cagliari built a comfortable lead over them with yesterday’s win and leapfrogged Spezia in the standing. Three points now separate the two teams that were promoted last season.