Gasperini Tells VAR to Sod Off After Roma's Gutting Genoa Loss

Picture this: a gritty Serie A scrap at the Luigi Ferraris, rain lashing down, and Roma boss Gian Piero Gasperini left red-faced after a 2-1 defeat to Daniele De Rossi's Genoa. But it's not the scoreline that's got him raging – it's the officials missing a blatant handball. As reported by Lorenzo Bettoni at Football Italia, Gasperini didn't hold back post-match.

A Battler, But No cigar

Roma went into the game with fire in their bellies, pressing high and staying compact against a Genoa side loving the long-ball chaos. The Grifone nabbed the opener through Vitor Vitinha, but the Giallorossi levelled it up before the break. It stayed 1-1 until the second half, when Genoa pinched it late on.

Gasperini was full of praise for his lads' graft on DAZN. 'We bossed the approach, stayed solid as a rock,' he reckoned. Shots on target? Thin on the ground for both sides, but Roma's spirit was sky-high, even if Lady Luck ghosted them in the dying embers. Andrej Svilar pulled off a cracker early in the second stanza, but it wasn't enough to stem the tide.

VAR Handball Howler Sparks Fury

Here's where it gets juicy. With the scores locked at 1-1, Manu Koné unleashed a belter that Ruslan Malinovskyi swatted away with his upper arm – not exactly subtle, mind. VAR? Crickets. Gasperini was apoplectic: 'The footage is crystal clear. If the VAR lads can't spot that, they need a new gig.'

No messing about, eh? He slammed the door on any debate: 'Reality doesn't bend to opinions. It was a pen all day long.' Genoa's midfield enforcer got away with it, and Roma paid the price. Gasperini even nodded to the conditions: long punts flying about, perfect for a target man like Bryan Cristante, but playing out from the back? Nightmare fuel on that slippery pitch.

It's the kind of call that swings seasons, and with Roma scrapping for Champions League spots, this one's gonna sting. Fans are already howling on socials – memes of Malinovskyi's arm looking bigger than King Kong's.

Table Tightens, Fixtures Loom Large

This slip leaves Roma fifth in Serie A, bang on 51 points with Como in fourth, and just a point clear of Juventus. Ouch. De Rossi, meanwhile, is rubbing it in – no fake tears from him after toppling his old club.

Next up? A double-header with Bologna: first the Europa League last-16 first leg away, then Serie A action. Then it's hosts vs Como at the Olimpico – a proper six-pointer in the top-four dogfight. Gasperini knows the schedule's brutal: 'Busy times ahead, lads need to dig deep.'

Roma's not in a purple patch, but Gasperini's backing his boys. Will they bounce back, or is this VAR snub the start of a slide? Pour another pint, and we'll see. For the full lowdown, check Lorenzo Bettoni's piece on Football Italia.

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