Controversy erupts as La Penna Giovanni Mauro award sparks debate

Rome‑based referee Federico La Penna sent Inter defender Pierre Kalulu off with a second yellow in the Inter‑Juventus clash, instantly igniting a controversy that has dominated discussion about his Giovanni Mauro award. The decision turned the booking into a red card and placed the referee at the centre of a season‑defining debate.

The dismissal followed a judgment that Kalulu had fouled Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni, a call observers described as simulated and beyond the reach of VAR. Officials and observers agreed the contact was fabricated, confirming that VAR could not overturn a yellow‑card decision.

VAR was unable to review a yellow‑card offence, leaving the referee’s call untouched. Consequently, the second yellow automatically became a red card without any video‑assisted intervention.

Despite the backlash, the Italian Referees Association awarded La Penna the Giovanni Mauro honour for the 2025‑26 season, recognising him as the referee who most distinguished himself in that campaign. The AIA announced that La Penna, an official from Rome, would receive the prestigious award.

The incident prompted a rule change, now allowing VAR to intervene on erroneous second yellow cards from the World Cup onward and throughout the current Serie A season. This amendment aims to prevent a repeat of contentious dismissals like Kalulu’s.

Fans and critics reacted furiously, calling the award the highest accolade of a Serie A campaign while condemning its bestowal on a referee whose most notorious mistake involved Kalulu. Their condemnation highlights the intensity of the backlash.

On 17 May 2026, at the Mapei Stadium Città del Tricolore in Sassuolo, La Penna showed a red card to a US Lecce staff member during the Serie A match between US Sassuolo Calcio and US Lecce. Earlier, on 4 January 2026, he officiated the Fiorentina versus Cremonese game at the Artemio Franchi stadium in Florence, where his decision to issue a second yellow to Juventus defender Kalulu sparked widespread criticism.

These developments underscore the ongoing debate over refereeing standards in Italian football, with the new VAR provision seeking to curb similar contentious dismissals in the future.