Napoli v Cagliari: De Bruyne booked, red card debate, Marelli’s view | OneFootball

DAZN expert Luca Marelli comments on the intervention of the Belgian midfielder and the work of referee Kevin Bonacina at Maradona.

Napoli-Cagliari, the replay: De Bruyne's caution, was a red card avoided? Marelli's analysis

Napoli's last-gasp victory over Cagliari was not without incidents for replay. The match at Maradona was officiated by Kevin Bonacina, a 1993-born referee from the Bergamo section, in his fifth Serie A match. Assisted by assistants C. Rossi and Bahri, with Marcenaro as the fourth official, La Penna at VAR and Paterna at Avar, Bonacina cautioned two Napoli players and one from Cagliari.

Who is Kevin Bonacina

Making his Serie A debut two years ago in Empoli-Torino, Bonacina quickly climbed the ranks, passing through Serie C, Primavera and Serie B. He is known for the controversial management of the first leg of the Serie C 2023 playoffs between Foggia and Lecco, incidents that reached the Italian Parliament. With Napoli and Cagliari, Bonacina had previously officiated:

Cagliari-Torino 2-0 (January 24, 2025, championship)

Cagliari-Cremonese 1-0 (Coppa Italia, sixteenth)

Napoli-Modena (Coppa Italia, thirty-second, Conte's debut)

The dubious incidents of the match

5’ first half: Zappa is cautioned after a hard tackle on Spinazzola's ankle.

50’ second half: De Bruyne is cautioned for a foul on Prati with a high leg. According to expert Marelli, the Belgian midfielder "took a big risk by raising his leg. The red card was avoided because the sole of the foot slid towards the opponent's ankle, limiting the severity of the intervention."

66’ second half: Juan Jesus is cautioned for a rough tackle on Borrelli.

The match ended 1-0 with Anguissa's goal in stoppage time, consolidating Napoli's leadership.

Marelli's comment

Luca Marelli highlighted how De Bruyne's intervention was potentially dangerous, but not punishable with expulsion thanks to a technical detail: the sliding of the foot mitigated the impact. The analysis highlights the delicacy of the referee's decisions in high-intensity matches, where every incident can influence the final result.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.