Rasmus Hojlund and manager Antonio Conte slammed the “peculiar” officiating after a controversial VAR handball call disallowed the striker’s goal in Napoli’s 2-2 draw with Hellas Verona.
Rasmus Hojlund has expressed his outrage on social media after a controversial VAR decision denied him a goal during Napoli’s 2-2 draw with Hellas Verona.
The Manchester United loanee appeared to have scored with a clinical finish, but officials overturned the strike for an alleged handball in the buildup.
Refuting the claim on Instagram, Hojlund wrote: “Didn’t even touch the ball with the hand. Well, we go again on Sunday. Forza Napoli sempre.”
The fallout from the incident has been significant, with reports suggesting referee Simone Sozza and his VAR team have been suspended despite the league initially deeming the decisions technically “correct.”
Napoli manager Antonio Conte did not hide his frustration regarding the ruling that stifled his striker’s momentum.
Conte remarked: “Hojlund’s goal was disallowed because I don’t know where he should have had that arm. We have to accept them and we accept them.”
Despite the goal drama, Napoli showed resilience by clawing back from a two-goal deficit. Scott McTominay ended a nine-match scoring drought to spark the comeback before Giovanni Di Lorenzo secured a point late in the game.
Hojlund remains a key figure for the Italian side, having recorded six goals and two assists this season.
Napoli holds a €50 million option to make his move permanent, a clause that becomes mandatory upon Champions League qualification.