Napoli goalkeeper hits out at referee and VAR: ‘Today’s football is a farce’

Third-choice Napoli Nikita Contini voices his discontent over referee decisions on social media after a 2-1 loss against Atalanta: ‘What a farce today’s football is.’

Napoli suffered a 2-1 away defeat at Atalanta on Sunday, but were outraged by the referee’s decisions, sending their director, Giovanni Manna, to the media to complain after the match.

The Partenopei had a penalty kick revoked in the first half after a VAR check, while referee Daniele Chiffi ruled out their second goal for a Rasmus Hojlund foul on Isak Hien.

Contini: ‘How beautiful real football was’

“Night thought. How beautiful real football was,” Contini wrote in an Instagram story.

“Real clashes, real hits, insults, real tackles, real refereeing, and fans who could travel everywhere. And the list goes on. I could keep going, and not just a little.

“What a farce today’s football is. Football is a serious matter; otherwise, we might as well take up dancing.”

Napoli fans were not allowed to buy tickets for the game in Bergamo as they’ve been banned from away games until the end of the season, like those of Lazio, Roma and Fiorentina, for security reasons.

Earlier this year, their fans clashed while travelling for away games, prompting Italian authorities to impose a ban on them.

Napoli’s defeat against Atalanta leaves the Partenopei third in the standings, level on 50 points with Roma and four points above fifth-placed Juventus.