VAR made two controversial decisions at San Siro on December 9. In the 32nd minute, from a corner kick on the right, Ibrahima Konate headed the ball towards goal, finding Yann Sommer's net. However, after reviewing the footage at the sideline, referee Felix Zwayer determined that Virgil van Dijk had headed the ball onto Hugo Ekitike's hand earlier, disallowing the goal.

"I completely do not understand VAR tonight; it took three minutes to determine that the handball goal was clearly invalid," Capello commented on Sky Sport.

Alessandro Bastoni pulling Florian Wirtz's shirt in the penalty area, leading to Dominik Szoboszlai's penalty goal in Inter's 0-1 loss to Liverpool in the sixth round of the Champions League on December 9. Photo: *The Athletic*

The 79-year-old former Italian coach was more enraged by the game-deciding incident in the 84th minute. Florian Wirtz fell in Inter Milan's penalty area, and the VAR team advised referee Felix Zwayer to review the footage at the sideline. The German referee determined that Alessandro Bastoni had pulled Wirtz's shirt from behind, issued a yellow card, and awarded Liverpool a penalty. From the 11-meter spot, Dominik Szoboszlai struck a powerful shot into the left corner, sealing Liverpool's victory.

"This was a scandalous penalty. I do not understand why VAR had to intervene when the referee had seen everything; it was an obvious dive when the player collapsed," Capello stated sharply.

The former coach believed this was a normal collision that occurred throughout the match. "They called a foul for a shirt pull, which means every game would have a million penalties. They have set a precedent, and that is truly shameful," Capello emphasized.

Inter midfielder Piotr Zielinski also criticized the referee's decision. "We are disappointed and angry because we played a good game but lacked a bit of luck to score," the Polish player said. "Regarding the referee's decision, I do not understand. On the field, the situation did not look like a foul. If this situation is called a foul, then every challenge could become a penalty."

Inter players reacting to the referee's decision. Photo: *PA*

Meanwhile, Inter Milan's head coach, Cristian Chivu, maintained a calmer attitude. "I rarely comment on referees," he said. "The referee was in a good position to observe the entire situation and decided not to call a foul. When VAR intervenes, they must understand the rhythm and flow of the game. We must accept the decision, learn to cope with injustice, and focus on the positives we can do."

The Romanian coach suggested that a draw would have been a fairer result, emphasizing that Inter suffered significant losses due to two first-half injuries. Hakan Calhanoglu and Francesco Acerbi both left the field within the first 30 minutes, forcing Chivu to carefully plan for the three remaining substitutions.

"We fought hard, trying to break their pressing play and pushed until the last minute. We should have been more decisive in critical situations, but the two forced changes had a major impact," he stated.

Hong Duy (via Football Italy)