Referee demoted from Serie A for serious errors in feisty Napoli-Inter clash

Mariani has been stood down from Serie A duties and faces a potential demotion to Serie B following a performance laden with "too serious errors" during Napoli's 3-1 victory over Inter on Saturday.

According to a report from Corriere dello Sport, Italian referee designator Gianluca Rocchi was left "furious" by the display at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona and has immediately "stopped" both Mariani and his assistant, Daniele Bindoni, from officiating. The decision comes after a match defined by controversial penalty decisions that heavily influenced the outcome.

The primary incident that angered Rocchi was the controversial penalty awarded to Napoli in the 33rd minute. The report describes the contact as "very slight," noting that some on the refereeing panel considered it a non-penalty.

However, the "short circuit" that proved fatal for the officiating team was procedural. Assistant referee Bindoni flagged for the foul eight seconds after the incident occurred, a delay that triggered the whistle. The report states that had Mariani called the foul immediately, the "perception" of the call would have been different, even if the contact was minimal.

Rocchi is reportedly furious with the awarding of such "slight" penalties, which VAR rarely intervenes on as contact was present. Kevin De Bruyne converted the resulting spot-kick to give Napoli the lead.

Mariani's performance was further criticised for a crucial decision that went against Inter. The Nerazzurri were incensed after being denied what the report calls an "obvious" penalty for an outstretched arm by Napoli's Alessandro Buongiorno, which made contact with a touch from Lautaro Martínez.

This missed call, combined with the "slight" penalty given against them, fuelled the post-match controversy and triggered the review from Rocchi's National Referees Commission (CAN).

Inter also reportedly questioned Mariani's game management, specifically why Napoli’s Billy Gilmour was not penalised for a foul committed shortly after teammate Giovanni Di Lorenzo had been booked.

The consequences for the "too serious" errors were swift. Mariani, who had only refereed two Serie A matches this season after officiating the Under-20 World Cup final, has been removed from the schedule for the midweek round.

He will also be sidelined for Matchday 10. The report indicates he may be reassigned to Serie B or moved to a VAR role for the time being. Assistant Bindoni has also been stood down and will not be included in the upcoming squad of officials.

The move is part of a wider disciplinary action by Rocchi, who has also stood down referee Daniele Chiffi for significant errors in the Parma-Como match. Chiffi is also expected to be moved to a VAR role, so he can "understand what it means to be on the penalty line or out."

The incidents overshadowed a crucial win for Napoli, who remain top of the Serie A table. After De Bruyne's opener, Inter equalised through a penalty of their own from Hakan Calhanoglu, but goals from Scott McTominay and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa sealed the 3-1 win. Inter remain in fourth place.