Genoa protest Kevin De Bruyne goal as Napoli secure 1-0 Serie A opening win

The decisive 82nd-minute goal

Napoli opened their Serie A campaign with a 1-0 victory over Genoa on Saturday, August 22, 2026. The match remained balanced for most of the contest, with Massimiliano Allegri's side struggling to create clear opportunities against the Genoa defense. The decisive moment arrived in the 82nd minute through an attacking combination inside the Genoa penalty area. Antonio Vergara set up Kevin De Bruyne with a heel flick that placed the Belgian playmaker in front of Genoa goalkeeper Justin Bijlow. Genoa defender Johan Vasquez moved across to anticipate the pass and shielded the ball with his body. De Bruyne arrived at speed, made physical contact, and extended his arm into Vasquez. The defender fell to the turf, allowing De Bruyne to take control of the loose ball and direct it into the net for the opening goal.

On-field reactions and bench protests

The goal triggered immediate protests across the pitch from the Genoa players, who surrounded match referee Marco Di Bello to appeal for a foul on Vasquez. Di Bello waved away the appeals and pointed directly to the centre circle to confirm the goal, informing the players that he viewed the challenge as a regular contact. The video assistant referee did not intervene or call for an on-field review, deferring to Di Bello's initial assessment on the pitch. The Genoa bench argued that De Bruyne had used his arm intentionally to dislodge the defender before shooting. On the Genoa touchline, head coach Daniele De Rossi reacted with frustration to the referee's decision.

You have to whistle it because it's a foul. Why don't you whistle?

Following the restart, the match concluded with Napoli holding on to their 1-0 advantage. As soon as the final whistle blew, members of the Genoa management and executive staff walked directly onto the pitch to seek clarification from Di Bello and his officiating crew, though they left without receiving answers.

Pre-match referee concerns and post-match remarks

In post-match interviews with Sky Sport, Genoa sporting director Diego Lopez expressed severe disappointment over the refereeing decision, arguing that the foul was evident on replays. Lopez remarked that television broadcasts across Italy clearly revealed the nature of De Bruyne's push on the defending player.

On the action, I think today in football there are many cameras, fortunately for us, and all of Italy saw what happened. It was quite a clear action. There was some concern this week about the appointment.

Lopez revealed that the club had harboured concerns throughout the week regarding Di Bello's appointment to the fixture. He referenced previous officiating incidents involving Di Bello, including a past Napoli match tied 2-2 until the final minute where Genoa was denied a penalty kick, a decision later acknowledged in Genoa's favour on the Open VAR television program. Lopez also cited an unissued red card in a prior match in Rome. Despite trying to maintain internal calm within the squad leading up to Saturday's kickoff, Lopez stated that the team was once again affected by officiating decisions outside their control.