Enzo Maresca has claimed Manchester City are still waiting for an apology from referees' chief Howard Webb over a controversial Manchester derby goal scored in 2023.
The Italian spoke out after refereeing body Pro Ref admitted a VAR error following City's weekend victory at Old Trafford. Match officials allowed Erling Haaland's 60th-minute goal to stand, despite Enzo Fernandez interfering with play from an offside position.
Webb contacted Manchester United in the immediate aftermath of the fixture. Following the error, VAR official Matt Donohue and assistant Blake Antrobus were stood down for the coming week's Premier League matches.
Maresca questioned why United received an apology process when City experienced a very different response while he was Pep Guardiola's assistant during City's Treble campaign. Bruno Fernandes had equalised for United at Old Trafford in January 2023 despite Marcus Rashford seemingly interfering with play while stood offside. A discombobulated City then conceded another goal to Rashford minutes later.
"Sometimes it goes for you, sometimes it goes against you," Maresca said. "Three years ago when I was here, the same thing happened to us against Man United and we lost to them in the derby there. The goal was not a regular goal if you remember. And no one apologises. We are still waiting for the apology for that. Sometimes it goes for and against."
Controversial derby decisions and officiating
Maresca served as assistant to manager Pep Guardiola during City's Treble campaign, when the club secured the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League titles. The Manchester derby, contested between cross-town rivals Manchester City and Manchester United, is one of the premier fixtures in English football, where refereeing decisions often draw significant debate.
Howard Webb, a former professional match referee who officiated the 2010 World Cup final, currently serves as the chief of the professional referees' body responsible for oversight in top-flight English football. The Video Assistant Referee system, commonly referred to as VAR, provides match officials with video replay technology to review key incidents including offside calls and goal situations.
Sunday performance and league standings
Maresca chose to shift focus on to City's performance on Sunday, a result celebrated wildly in front of the away section. The victory opened up an eight-point gap between the rivals after four games.
"To talk about one moment after that game when we played for 70, 75 minutes with 10 players is quite poor," the Italian added. "I think the performance was unbelievable and I'm pleased."
The Italian manager acknowledged the pressure on officials operating the replay screens during high-stakes fixtures. "It is not easy for the VAR and those in front of the screen who make a decision in 10-20 seconds. It is not easy for them. People make mistakes, I make mistakes, players make mistakes," Maresca said. "It is not easy to be in front of the screen and make a decision in 20 seconds, two minutes. It is complicated also for them."
