Inter striker Marcus Thuram fined for simulation following Bologna match
The French forward received a fine after being booked for diving during Inter's victory over Bologna.
Inter Milan forward Marcus Thuram has been handed a 2,000 euro fine by the sports judge following a controversial simulation call during his team's recent match against Bologna. Inter secured a 3-1 victory on the road after overcoming an initial lead by the home side.
The incident occurred during the second half at the 61st-minute mark when Thuram went down inside the opponent's penalty area following a challenge involving teammate Matteo Darmian. Match referee Doveri immediately penalized the French attacker with a yellow card for diving, believing he had simulated the foul.
Audio captured by the referee's equipment revealed a brief exchange between the official and the player. When Doveri told the striker "Nothing, nothing," Thuram replied, "I swear to you, I swear to you." The referee concluded the interaction by stating, "He didn't do anything to you."
Despite the referee's decision on the field, analysts and former referees have pointed out that contact did take place between the players. Commentator Luca Marelli suggested that the yellow card was excessive because television angles showed a clear hook on Thuram's supporting left leg as he attempted to change direction.
Marelli further argued that the situation warranted a VAR review and an on-field assessment, stating that while opinions on whether it should have been a penalty could vary, the booking for simulation was a distinct error by the officiating crew. Similarly, Gianpaolo Calvarese told La Gazzetta dello Sport that while the contact might not have been enough to award a penalty, issuing a yellow card to the French player was incorrect.
In separate broadcasting news surrounding the same round of Serie A fixtures, streaming platform DAZN reported a decrease in overall viewership compared to the previous season. Audicom data indicated that the ten matches of the seventh matchday drew a combined audience of 5,393,861 viewers across various devices, representing a drop of more than 480,000 users compared to the same period a year earlier.
Only one fixture during the weekend surpassed one million viewers, with Juventus versus Lazio attracting over 1.3 million fans. The match between Bologna and Inter secured the second-highest audience of the round with 789,137 viewers, followed by Milan against Atalanta in third place with 669,008 viewers.