Napoli Coach Antonio Conte’s Rant About VAR: ‘I Was The Only One Who Had The B*lls To Call It Out’ After Inter Milan Clash | OneFootball

Napoli coach Antonio Conte says that he was the only coach with the “b*lls” to call out VAR inconsistencies after his team’s Serie A clash with Inter Milan.

The Partenopei boss aired his grievances in a press conference ahead of his team’s clash with Cagliari tomorrow, as reported by FCInterNews.

It would be fair to say that VAR has been the subject of some controversy in Serie A recently.

Inter Milan felt aggrieved after Lazio were awarded a penalty late in their 2-2 draw last Sunday.

It was not necessarily that Inter believed that Yann Bisseck’s handball was not a penalty. Rather, the feeling was that there was a double standard.

On a number of occasions this season, Inter have been unfortunate not to be given penalties by VAR – with the Italian refereeing association even admitting they should have been given.

Napoli Coach Conte: “I Was The Only One With The B*lls To Call Out VAR” After Inter Match

COMO, ITALY – FEBRUARY 23: SSC Napoli coach Antonio Conte looks on before the Serie A match between Como 1907 and SSC Napoli at Stadio G. Sinigaglia on February 23, 2025 in Como, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

This is hardly the first time this season that VAR has been in the spotlight in Serie A, however.

There was the match between Inter and Napoli at the San Siro in November.

The Nerazzurri were awarded a penalty for a tackle by Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa on Denzel Dumfries.

Replays showed that there was relatively minimal contact. However, VAR did not intervene to overturn the spot kick – which Hakan Calhanoglu missed.

After the match, Antonio Conte fumed that VAR did not come into use in that situation.

With VAR once again a talking point, Conte remarked that “I said what I had to say.”

“The thing thing that makes me happy, is that some referees also appreciated what I said. Because VAR and communication need to be improved.”

Conte continued that “There needs to be more clarity.”

“A lot of the time it intervenes,” continued the Napoli coach. “But then other times, it doesn’t.”

“I still don’t understand when VAR can or can’t intervene,” he admitted.

“Everyone has complained when the decisions have affected them,” said Conte. “But no one’s had the b*lls to complain about it, like I did after the match against Inter.”

“For weeks after that, I was insulted on TV,” Conte complained.

“The difference is in who says something. I have to be careful, because the reception is different when I say something than from when others do.”