Juventus’ victory over Atalanta in the fifth round of Serie A has left a significant refereeing argument in its wake, with a penalty appeal involving Pierre Kalulu and Jonathan Rowe becoming the weekend’s most debated decision.
Rowe went down in the Juventus area after being held by Kalulu, but referee Luca Zufferli allowed play to continue and no penalty was awarded. Atalanta protested the decision, while the lack of a VAR intervention has kept the incident at the centre of the post-match discussion.
A penalty claim that remains open
Former referee Gianpaolo Calvarese reviewed the footage and said he would have awarded Atalanta a spot-kick. He explained that the contact appeared less serious when judged in real time, but looked markedly different on replay.
“My first impression as a referee, live, was that it looked like a small tug,” Calvarese said. “Having watched the images again, it is a penalty. On the screen, in my view, the contact looks much worse.”
Refereeing chief Daniele Orsato has also taken the view that Kalulu’s holding should have been punished with a penalty.
VAR decision questioned
Alessio Tacchinardi, speaking alongside Calvarese, accepted that Zufferli may not have had a clear sight of the extent of the shirt pull, but argued that the video officials should have stepped in.
“Perhaps the referee did not see how much Kalulu was holding him because his view was partly blocked,” Tacchinardi said. “But it is a penalty, and VAR made a serious mistake. They might have considered the holding slight, but Kalulu pulls the shirt for too long. It should be a penalty.”
Tacchinardi added that Serie A is becoming faster, while warning that some decisions are being judged too rigidly. His comments echoed Maurizio Sarri’s broader criticism after the match.
Sarri’s verdict was blunt: “If VAR does not call the referee for an incident like that, then it should be abolished. I do not see the need for it any more.”
For Juventus, the result remains intact. For Atalanta, however, the Kalulu-Rowe episode has become one of those early-season moments that can linger beyond a Sunday afternoon: a disputed call, a missed review and another test of confidence in Serie A’s use of VAR.
