AC Milan-Juventus referee defends spot kick decision

Nov 27, 2012 8:25:00 PM

In the aftermath of Sunday's clash, Nicola Rizzoli still believes that he was correct in his decision to award the home side a penalty, despite what replays have shown

Italian referee Nicola Rizzoli has defended his choice to award AC Milan a controversial penalty against Juventus during the weekend Serie A clash, in spite of what television replays have shown.

Rizzoli pointed to the spot in the 1-0 win for the Rossoneri, after judging that the ball had struck Mauricio Isla on the arm, whereas later evidence suggested that the contact was made with his torso.

"There are two parrallel truths in football: what happens on the field at great speed with the sounds and all of the rest," explained the match official to reporters.

"Then there is the television that breaks down images, slows them down, and one often cannot be certain which is the case as with the slow-motion replay with Isla.

"Are we sure the ball never touches the arm despite downward trajectory?"

Despite Robinho's penalty costing their side an important three points, Rizzoli spoke positively of the reaction of the Juventus players to his debatable decision.

"Their protests were very civil and this allowed me to continue to arbitrate and officiate the game with maximum concentration," he added.

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