On the Gian&Giac podcast, former referees Giampaolo Calvarese and Piero Giacomelli discussed the controversy surrounding the disallowed goal in the Venezia vs. Internazionale match, which was ruled offside against Raoulbach.
Calvarese stated: "I saw the debate about Raoulbach's offside call, but I don't understand why there's no controversy at Wimbledon when the ball is just 1 cm over the line, yet last night I saw some people and major media outlets discussing a shoulder touching the line. If we rely on technology, the ideal approach is to set no margin for error, but since that margin exists now, it creates a lack of trust."
Giacomelli added: "There will always be a line—that's the key. Imagine if you were the VAR last night, having to draw the offside line at the sleeve. An hour after the match ends, when you receive review feedback, your heart rate might still be at 200 beats per minute."
Calvarese explained: "Another factor is that we used to determine the frames ourselves. After the cameras are synchronized, we need to identify when the ball leaves the foot—sometimes there are two frames, which is the first critical point. Then we pull up the perspective position of the last part being judged, specifically the shoulder. If the foot is on the ground, it's straightforward; otherwise, we have to determine where the vertical line begins. When moving between frames, the position can deviate by 10 to 15 centimeters. I'm saying we already have the technology—please don't manufacture controversy over this."
Giacomelli said: "A thorough VAR might have spent 5 minutes drawing that line in the past. In such situations, technology can help speed up the process. Do you remember when we worked on the field? A few seconds felt like minutes—you'd start thinking, 'Oh my god, everyone is waiting for me.' The pressure kept building, and decisions often took several minutes."
Calvarese concluded: "If you wait 3 to 4 minutes, the outside world naturally expects the referee to intervene, and this waiting itself creates doubt, making intervention feel almost obligatory. I remember at the start, Di Paolo spent 8 minutes on a Frosinone decision, which was a disaster from a public opinion standpoint. Now it seems strange to me that some people are so skeptical of technology."