Petrachi speaks out after Cagliari controversy

The game at the Stadio Olimpico finished in controversial fashion, with Nikola Kalinic's late strike disallowed for a foul in the build-up.

Prior to that the Giallorossi had been left aggrieved by a number of decisions - including the VAR-assisted choice to give Cagliari a first-half penalty.

"We’re very upset," Petrachi said.

"This isn’t the first week we’ve been hard done by. We should have had more than a few penalties. We’re not a fortunate side when it comes to refereeing. We should have had penalties against Bologna and Lecce for handball when VAR wasn’t consulted, or VAR didn’t alert the referee.

"The referee had a poor performance today right from the start. All he did was create tension in a match that was calm. In the first half, before the penalty, [Amadou] Diawara clearly won the ball but he blew for a foul.

"As for the goal at the end, with all due respect for [Rolando] Maran, who is obviously going to say it was a push, we’ve all played football – this isn’t the theatre. Kalinic stole a march on the defender, who then collides with [Robin] Olsen. That’s a normal thing to happen in the penalty box.

"It’s unthinkable to disallow a goal like that, otherwise we may as well stop playing football."

Petrachi was further questioned about his view on the incident.

"I’m not speaking from my personal perspective," he said.

"It’s so objective – it was the kind of contact that happens thousands of times.

"It’s absurd to disallow a goal like that, especially without watching it again using VAR. The referees always check things against us. There’s something I can’t quite put my finger on that’s penalising Roma. I’m in favour of VAR and I think that we have the best referees in the world, but there’s something I can’t quite understand that’s going against us.

"I’m angry because we were told that when things like this happen, the move would be allowed to come to a conclusion and then it would be looked at, without the whistle being blown. That was the mistake the referee made.

"The referee saw a push when the player stole a march on two defenders and moved. I think it’s absurd. After 30 years in football, I think I’m within my rights to say that it shouldn’t have been disallowed.

"The game has been changed by a mistake from the referee. Roma deserved to win with a completely valid goal in the 90th minute."