Article by Romeo Ene – Published Monday, February 16, 2026, 6:47 p.m. / Updated Monday, February 16, 2026, 6:47 p.m.
Two days after the scandal that took place at the derby between Inter and Juventusthe president of the Italian League, Ezio Simonelli, announced that on March 23 there will be a meeting in which the clubs, coaches and referee management will participate. The objective is clear: uniform application of the regulation.
The announcement came after the Serie A General Assembly, at which all 20 clubs were present.
Simonelli he later spoke to the press about several topics. Among them, tensions related to arbitration. The topic became even more sensitive after the elimination of Pierre Kalulu in the Inter – Juventus derby.
Zero degree meeting in Italy, after the Inter – Juventus scandal
“We have scheduled a meeting between the clubs and the referees on March 23rd. Coaches and head referees will attend. Gerry Cardinale, Milan's owner, also visited us today for the first time.
We discussed the development of Serie A and what we can do in the US market. RedBird has an interest in CBS, and we have a problem with the start time of the games. 20:45 is not convenient for many markets.
It's too late in the east, and in the US we compete with major sports. We are analyzing other options,” said Simonelli.
The league president also provided logistical details: “The meeting will take place at the Serie A headquarters. It's the first day of the break for the national teams. We originally considered February 12th, but it was difficult to get the coaches in the middle of the season.“
Regarding the controversial phases of the Inter – Juventus derby, Simonelli criticized the VAR protocol. “VAR should intervene on all yellow cards, not just the second one. Technology should help in any situation, not be limited by an absurd protocol written by people who don't know enough about the game.”
Returning to the March 23 meeting, the official explained the desired direction. “We want a standardization of the interpretation of the rules. These are meetings with a long-term perspective. We will organize more such discussions.”
Simonelli also scored the requests of the clubs. “Coaches want clarity. What is whistled and what is not. Clubs want clear rules. There are objective things, such as offside. There are also subjective interpretations, especially in VAR. Some want constant interventions. Others prefer the English model, only on obvious error.”
Serie A standings up to date
