Nicolo Barella blames 'made-up' Liverpool penalty for Inter's shock early Champions League elimination

The Italian international remains convinced that Inter should never have been in the position to face Bodo/Glimt in the knockout round play-offs. Had results gone differently in the league phase, Cristian Chivu’s side would have bypassed this stage entirely. Barella specifically cited a contentious late penalty awarded to Liverpool in December, which saw Dominik Szoboszlai secure a victory for the Premier League side and deny Inter a crucial point that would have seen them finish in the top eight.

Speaking in the aftermath of the defeat to the Norwegian side, a visibly frustrated Barella did not hold back. "We tried but they were better," he said. "It is infuriating that we slipped out of the league phase by one point because they called a made-up penalty in the 90th minute [vs Liverpool], and with that, we didn't end up in the top eight. Without it, we would have avoided the two extra matches and the trip to Norway, but that is the new Champions League."

The incident in question involved Florian Wirtz, who went down under pressure from Alessandro Bastoni. Although play initially continued, a VAR intervention led the referee to the pitchside monitor, where he subsequently awarded the spot-kick. The decision was met with widespread derision at the time, and Barella clearly believes that the ripple effect of that single whistle led directly to Inter’s premature exit from the competition this week.

Barella isn't the only one associated with the club who felt aggrieved by the decision that favoured Arne Slot’s Liverpool. Midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan was equally perplexed by the call when it happened, stating: "I don't know how they came up with a penalty that never existed but this is football. We are not happy. If you give a penalty like this, then every contact in the box is a penalty." The sense of injustice has clearly simmered within the squad for two months.

Legendary manager Fabio Capello also lent his voice to the criticism of the VAR process during the match against the Reds. Analysis of the footage suggested Wirtz may have gone down under minimal contact, sparking a debate about the threshold for VAR interference. "I don’t understand why the VAR had to intervene when the referee saw it all, the obvious simulation throwing himself to the ground," said former England manager Fabio Capello, echoing the frustrations of the Inter hierarchy.

While his players focused on past grievances, Inter head coach Cristian Chivu was more focused on the tactical failures of the evening against Bodo/Glimt. The Nerazzurri struggled to break down a resilient defensive unit and lacked the physical intensity required to match their opponents. “We tried every possible way against a team that was well-organised in a low block, with ten players behind the ball,” Chivu said. “We couldn’t break them down, and they found a mental comfort zone."

The Italian giants eventually conceded twice in the second half as their energy levels flagged, leaving them with too much to do in the closing stages. “I have nothing to reproach the players for – they gave everything with the energy they had, though the opponents had more, especially in the second half. We did our best, trying to open the game in the first half. In the second, they managed to create opportunities and scored two goals. There’s a lot of disappointment because we tried to advance, but unfortunately, they had more energy. Bodo is an organised team that came here to do what they had to do with determination. We must congratulate them. They deserve to progress.”