Because the referee “invented the penalty”
Italian first division team leaves the league in anger
November 6th, 2023, 7:19 p.m
Because the Italian first division team Pomigliano feels massively disadvantaged by the referees and considers the organization of the professional league to be inadequate, he leaves Italy’s first women’s league in anger. “We are fighting against invisible opponents,” complains the club.
Imagine that you are a fan of the women’s Bundesliga team SGS Essen and after just a few match days in the new season there is nothing left to be a fan of. This is exactly what just happened in Italy. The first division club Pomigliano Calcio from near Naples has withdrawn from the Serie A femminile with “immediate effect” and powerful anger. The reason: “A fight against invisible opponents.” Or rather: the frustration with the referee decisions.
What even happened? In Pomigliano’s 0-1 draw against Sampdoria Genoa last Saturday it was 0-0 for a long time. In the 80th minute, Genoa put a ball through into the penalty area, a few seconds later a player was on the ground and, to everyone’s surprise, the referee awarded a penalty. The 26-year-old defender Aryana Harvey is said to have brought down the 18-year-old young hope Eva Schatzer.
The penalty was an “invented one,” Pomigliano now complained. That’s how it was with her withdrawal statement in the Italian sports newspaper “Tuttosport” to read. “As TV pictures show, the opposing player wasn’t even touched by our defender.”
There is not a word on the website
The referee saw it differently and thus sealed the fifth defeat for Pomigliano in the sixth game of the season. They are in the penultimate place in the table in the league, which was only professionalized at the beginning of the 2022/2023 season, one point ahead of the still winless SSC Napoli. In addition to the controversial penalty decision, the club felt disadvantaged due to a number of other decisions made last Saturday. They looked for the fourth official to be the main culprit.
In addition to the acute anger at the game management, the club also listed the organization and handling of the league’s finances. “It is pointless to fight against all these opponents,” the club said, continuing: “When the fight against an invisible opponent becomes an unequal battle that drains both the energy and the will to continue.”
And then they withdrew. Or not? They are still listed on the league’s official website via “Tuttosport” the day after their withdrawal, and there is not a word about their departure from the league on their own website. On the contrary: the game at Inter Milan is being touted as the next game.