Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund has publicly expressed his fury after a contentious VAR decision robbed him of a goal during Napoli's dramatic 2-2 draw with Hellas Verona in Serie A.
Controversy Erupts at the Maradona
The incident occurred on Wednesday night at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. Hojlund, on loan from the Premier League giants, thought he had scored with a stretched finish, only for the strike to be disallowed after a lengthy VAR review. The officials adjudged the ball to have made contact with the Danish forward's arm in the build-up to the goal.
Taking to his Instagram stories, a clearly frustrated Hojlund shared clips of the moment and wrote: "Didn't even touch the ball with the hand. Well, we go again on Sunday. Forza Napoli sempre." His message was accompanied by a blue love heart and prayer emojis.
Conte's Bafflement and Referee Suspension
Napoli manager Antonio Conte was equally perplexed by the call in the heated aftermath of the match. "Hojlund's goal was disallowed because I don't know where he should have had that arm," Conte stated. "We have to accept them and we accept them."
In a remarkable postscript, Italian publication La Gazzetta dello Sport reported that referee Simone Sozza and his VAR team have been suspended for their next fixtures, despite the match decisions being officially 'deemed correct'. This move has added further fuel to the debate surrounding the application of technology in the Italian top flight.
McTominay Ends Drought in Napoli Fightback
The disallowed goal proved a pivotal moment in a match where Napoli found themselves 2-0 down. The home side mounted a spirited second-half comeback, with Scott McTominay reducing the deficit. The Scottish midfielder's strike ended his personal nine-match scoring drought in Serie A since joining the club in 2024, a contribution that earned him the Man of the Match award.
Captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo then completed the turnaround, salvaging a point with an 82nd-minute equaliser. Conte criticised his team's first-half display but praised their resilience. "In the first half there were two negative episodes for us... These two episodes could kill anyone," he said. "In the second half we were good at putting our heads on our shoulders. We had the strength to score two goals, and that's what counts."
For Hojlund, the match ended in personal disappointment. The 22-year-old has been in solid form this campaign, registering six goals and two assists in 14 Serie A appearances. Napoli hold a €50 million (£43.6m) option to make his loan move permanent, a clause that becomes mandatory if the club secures Champions League qualification. All indications suggest the Italian side intend to trigger the deal regardless of their final league position.
