Marelli backs decision not to award Dele-Bashiru penalty in Lazio win

Former referee Luca Marelli says referee Andrea Colombo was right to reject Fisayo Dele-Bashiru’s penalty appeal during Lazio’s 2-1 Serie A victory over Cagliari on Sunday.

The Super Eagles midfielder went down inside Cagliari’s penalty area shortly after the hour mark following contact with defender Rodriguez. Dele-Bashiru immediately appealed for a spot-kick, but Colombo allowed play to continue, deciding the challenge did not justify a penalty.

Marelli later reviewed the incident and said the contact between the two players was too slight to warrant intervention, particularly given the way the move developed. He also noted that Rodriguez made contact with the ball during the challenge.

“Regarding the contact between Rodriguez and Dele-Bashiru, the contact between Rodriguez’s right leg and Dele-Bashiru’s left leg was very light given the dynamics of the move,” Marelli said, as quoted by Lazionews.

“After that, the Cagliari defender clearly picked up the ball with his left leg. Very heavy contact from Dele-Bashiru.”

The former official’s assessment supported Colombo’s decision not to award Lazio a penalty. Marelli’s explanation focused on the limited nature of Rodriguez’s contact with Dele-Bashiru and the defender’s subsequent touch on the ball.

There was no further change to the referee’s decision as Lazio completed a comeback at the Stadio Olimpico to claim all three points.

Cagliari took the lead through M’Bala Nzola, but Lazio levelled when Gustav Isaksen found the net. Andrea Pinamonti then scored in the 83rd minute to give the home side victory.

The result secured Lazio’s 2-1 win despite the second-half appeal, with Dele-Bashiru’s challenge remaining the main point of contention from the match.