Ciao Ciao, Friends! Matchday 8 of Serie A is over, and we have witnessed a lot of action, drama, and chaos over the weekend. From controversial refereeing in Napoli vs Inter to Tudor getting sacked by Juventus, we will round up everything happening in the Calcio world that you would like to know and keep you updated on the world of Calcio. Welcome to Serie A Gameweek 8 Review.
Refereeing Controversy Steals The Headlines for Napoli vs Inter
Just eight weeks into the Serie A season, we are no longer just discussing goals, tactics, or the game in general; rather, we are now discussing a full-blown refereeing crisis involving the fifth referee, including their assistant has been suspended this season. The Napoli vs. Inter match became the flashpoint for a weekend of refereeing chaos, defined by one “non-existent penalty” that didn’t just alter the result of a single game, but it exposed a gradual systemic failure in officiating games that’s taking place, which is a definite cause of concern for the Calcio.
Talking about the incident, the moment came when Napoli’s Giovanni Di Lorenzo went to ground in the box. Inter, who had been going toe to toe with Napoli in the first half, were left stunned as referee Maurizio Mariani pointed to the spot. Replays, however, showed a different story as Di Lorenzo “went down easily,” with minimal contact, in what many have labeled a clear dive. The decision was “not a penalty at all” for many people, including former referees and the federation, which suspended Mariani and his assistant for this blunder.
This single call faltered the flow and state of the game. Inter, feeling robbed, lost their heads and capitulated in the second half. The chaos was only amplified by Napoli coach Antonio Conte, whose heated sideline antics successfully riled up the already-furious Inter players. As Napoli dominated the second half, which helped them seal an easy 3-1 victory over Inter, with Scott McTominay showing glimpses of the possessed man he was last season, for the Serie MVP, he won.
But saying that the incident has sparked outrage, led to yet another official being suspended, and has fans asking some serious questions about the refereeing standards and the role of VAR.
What was your verdict on the call? Give us your thoughts in comments.
Juventus in Chaos: Why Tudor’s Sacking Was Years in the Making
The main discussion surrounding Serie A’s Gameweek 8 has been the implosion at Juventus, culminating in the sacking of manager Igor Tudor. While the poor results were the trigger, the move is merely a symptom of a much deeper “disease” that has plagued the club for years.
The people following the club for a long time have pointed out, the problems at Juventus are not new. They are the result of a pileup of bad decisions they made over the last six to seven seasons. The club has been in a state of identity crisis ever since the foundational fallout between former chairman Andrea Agnelli and CEO Beppe Marotta.
This long-term instability set the stage for the chaos that eventually unfolded with Tudor.
A “Bridge” Manager on a Short Leash
When Juventus sacked Thiago Motta, who, like Massimiliano Allegri before him, was still on the club’s payroll and brought Tudor in March, it was clear he was not the long-term solution. He was a “bridge” manager, a temporary fix.
Tudor lacked the elite European experience to manage a club of Juve’s stature, and he wasn’t a name that commanded fear among other teams. The board’s true intentions were clear: they were biding their time. Big names like Luciano Spalletti, Raffaele Paladino, and Roberto Mancini were either unavailable or were not interested in a short-term project and would demand long, two-to-three-season contracts to rebuild the team from scratch. Tudor was the man brought in to simply stabilize the ship until one of them became available.
No Vision, No Backing
The cracks in this arrangement became evident almost immediately. The new management, led by General Manager Damien Comolli, has been heavily criticized for having “no clear vision.” This was most apparent in the club’s transfer policy.
The board made transfers that were not requested by Tudor and actively ignored the players he believed were necessary. This led to a complete lack of alignment between the coach and the management, which we discuss in the following points in detail:
- Tudor’s Targets Ignored: The coach reportedly wanted to build his attack around a player like Randal Kolo Muani and strongly argued to keep the improving fullback Alberto Costa, but didn’t get enough opportunity to do so with Costa leaving the Bianconerri side for Porto in the summer, while Kolo Muani’s move was not materialized eventually after a mostly successful loan spell with Juve during the second half of the season.
- The Board’s Signings: Instead of going by the manager, Comolli and the board signed players like Loïs Openda and Edon Zhegrova on deadline day, leaving Tudor with a squad he hadn’t asked for and struggled to integrate. It was hard for him to find a winning team combination that led them to struggle through a run of bad results, which eventually became the reason for Tudor’s sacking.
The Inevitable Fallout
With the club failing to back him, Tudor was left exposed. The core issue of “player accountability” also resurfaced. Many players on the roster, like Jonathan David and Openda, have been labeled as “not good enough” and players who “wouldn’t have even made the bench for a classic Juventus team.”
When the poor results inevitably came, Tudor, the “bridge” manager, was the easiest person to sacrifice. His sacking is not a solution, but a continuation of a cycle of chaos that began years ago and shows no sign of stopping.
As of now, the club needs a complete overhaul from the deep, as the foundation is slowly looking to fall apart, and the vision forward for the club is looking way distracted from the path and vision of the“OG” Juventus side, the side that battled relegation and yet become the champions of Serie A after eventual promotion, a side europe used to fathom from, a side known for their solid and never to back down character.
Gameweek Verdict: Chaos, Collapse, and Controversy
Beyond the high-profile drama at Juventus and the Napoli-Inter clash, here are the other major storylines that defined the weekend:
Roma on Top, But is All Well?
Roma secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Sassuolo, a crucial win that propelled them to the top of the Serie A table, level on points with Napoli. Despite this success, there are underlying tensions. Manager Gian Piero Gasperini, while satisfied with the league position, had recently taken “shots” at his own attackers—including Evan Ferguson and Paulo Dybala—for their lack of offensive output, a point of friction even as the team grinds out positive results
Fiorentina’s Historic Freefall
The crisis in Florence has deepened, as Fiorentina’s loss left them winless and officially in the relegation zone. This marks one of the worst starts in the club’s recent history, a stunning collapse for a team with European ambitions. The pressure is now immense on manager Vincenzo Italiano, who is facing a desperate battle to turn the tide.
A Congested Title Race
While Roma and Napoli lead the pack, AC Milan kept pace just one point behind them. The table is still incredibly tight, with Inter’s controversial loss seeing them drop valuable points. The biggest story, however, remains Juventus, who are languishing in 8th place, already well off the leaders and looking more like a club in rebuild than a title contender.
