Genoa director Diego Lopez said the club had feared refereeing controversy before their 2-0 defeat to Napoli, insisting that “all of Italy saw what happened today” in the build-up to Kevin De Bruyne’s disputed goal.

The match at the Marassi was still goalless when Johan Vasquez got himself in front of De Bruyne to shield a loose ball, but the Genoa defender fell after being nudged from behind, allowing the Belgian to score unchallenged from seven yards.

Referee Marco Di Bello had a clear view of the incident, raised the whistle to his mouth, and then chose not to blow when he realised the move was about to end in a goal.

The situation was then checked by VAR, which decided against advising an On-Field Review because it was not judged to be a clear and obvious error.

Shortly afterwards, De Bruyne provided the assist for Antonio Vergara to add the second, as Napoli completed a 2-0 win over Genoa.

GENOA, ITALY – AUGUST 22: Kevin De Bruyne of Napoli celebrates with team-mates after scoring his side’s first goal during the Serie A match between Genoa CFC and SSC Napoli at Stadio Luigi Ferraris on August 22, 2026 in Genoa, Italy.

“All of Italy saw what happened today,” Genoa Chief of Football Lopez told Sky Sport Italia and DAZN Italia.

“This referee was also in the VAR booth last season in the game against Napoli, so naturally when we heard he had been assigned to this match, we were worried.

“Last season it was 2-2 until the last minute and Napoli were awarded a penalty. He was also in Roma-Genoa, where our goalkeeper was hit in the face during a goal. Both times, the referees later acknowledged these were errors in Open VAR.”

Open VAR is DAZN’s programme in which representatives of the referees’ association assess and explain the decisions taken in the latest Serie A matches, including admitting when mistakes were made.

GENOA, ITALY – AUGUST 22: Leo Ostigard of Genoa controls the ball while under pressure from Rasmus Hojlund of Napoli during the Serie A match between Genoa CFC and SSC Napoli at Stadio Luigi Ferraris on August 22, 2026 in Genoa, Italy.

“Fortunately, there are cameras, so all of Italy saw that there was a clear push on Vasquez to create the opportunity for Napoli to score. The referee saw it and decided not to blow his whistle, then the referee decided not to view it again.

“We tried to calm the players, because they knew Genoa had already suffered two recognised errors at the hands of this referee. We know that officials are human and can make mistakes, but all of Italy saw what happened today.”

On the opening day of the new Serie A season, refereeing decisions have already become a major talking point, despite officials having made it clear they wanted VAR to step in only for clear and obvious errors.

The episode was also fiercely debated across television studios, with some arguing that De Bruyne had fouled Vasquez, while others maintained the defender had tried to invite the contact and was not actively attempting to clear the ball.

In the end, it remained a decision judged on the pitch by the referee and was not considered to meet the threshold of a clear and obvious error.