Manchester United loanee Rasmus Hojlund has publicly expressed his fury after a contentious VAR decision chalked off his goal for Napoli in a dramatic 2-2 draw with Hellas Verona.
Controversy on the pitch
The pivotal moment occurred during the Serie A clash at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on Wednesday. Hojlund thought he had scored with a stretched finish, only for the strike to be disallowed after a video review. Officials ruled the ball had made contact with the striker's arm in the build-up, a decision that incensed the Danish forward and his manager.
Taking to his Instagram stories, Hojlund shared clips of the incident and vehemently disputed the call. "Didn't even touch the ball with the hand," he wrote. "Well, we go again on Sunday. Forza Napoli sempre," adding a blue love heart and prayer emojis.
Conte's frustration and referee fallout
Napoli boss Antonio Conte echoed his player's frustration in a post-match interview, visibly exasperated by the ruling. "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 scheduled matches. This disciplinary action came despite the league reportedly deeming the match decisions to be technically correct.
Napoli's fightback and McTominay's milestone
The disallowed goal proved a significant setback in a match where Napoli found themselves trailing 2-0. The home side mounted a spirited comeback in the second half. Scott McTominay broke his nine-match Serie A scoring drought since joining the club in 2024 by netting to reduce the deficit. His performance earned him the Man of the Match accolade.
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 disallowed strike denied him a chance to add to his tally of six goals and two assists in 14 Serie A appearances this campaign. His future remains a topic of discussion, with Napoli holding a €50 million (£43.6m) option to make his loan move permanent. The clause becomes mandatory if the club secures Champions League qualification this season, though reports suggest a permanent transfer is likely regardless.
