In two days where (once again) the spotlight was focalized on bad officiating, Serie A’s evening match Inter vs. Samdporia was the final cherry on a week-end gone wrong for Italian referees. Those who thought that Roberto Rosetti’s “Best Referee” award (bestowed by the IFFHS last month) was an indication for optimism, now have to come back to the sad reality of things: there is still plenty of improvement required. Sunday’s 8:30 game between Nerazzurri and Blucerchiati only served as further evidence of that fact, as exemplified by Adriano’s showcase of boxing skills on Gastaldello, and a suspicious Cordoba challenge on Pazzini, right inside the Inter penalty box.

As for the match itself, it was a very tight & battled affair. Inter prevailed, and it was a very welcome victory for Jose Mourinho (who even earned the first Serie A red card of his career) & friends, especially given the unrelenting pressure of Juventus in the standings and the team’s shaky pyschological state following last week’s 3-1 loss to Atalanta. As for Sampdoria, Mazzarri’s boys fought hard and can find themselves unlucky for a variety of episodes, among which the aforementioned non-penalty call and a beautiful shot by Dessena in the dying minutes (well saved by Julio Cesar). The status quo is maintained at the top of Serie A, with Inter conserving their +3 lead on rivals Juventus.

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