Massa a disaster in Parma-Udinese: Zaniolo should have been sent off

Referee Massa criticised for missing a penalty and red card in the 0-0 draw; Zaniolo's strike on Lontani should have been violent conduct.

Referee Massa had a poor performance in Parma's 0-0 draw with Udinese at the Tardini, with VAR official Mazzoleni also failing to intervene on key decisions. The main controversies: Troilo's foul on Davis in the Udinese box went unpunished when a penalty should have been awarded; Kabasele's challenge on Romero warranted a yellow card; and most significantly, Zaniolo's strike on Lontani—who was holding him—was a clear red card for violent conduct that went unaddressed. A penalty was correctly awarded for Abankwah's handball, but the failure to spot the Zaniolo incident was the most glaring omission. Massa received a rating of 4.5 out of 10, while Mazzoleni was also criticised for not using VAR to correct the errors.