Juventus hosts first VAR penalty decision in Serie A history
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Aug 19, 2026, 5:47 PM
Last updated Aug 19, 2026

On August 19, 2017, Juventus faced Cagliari in the Serie A season opener at Allianz Stadium. The match marked the league's first use of VAR, as referee Fabio Maresca awarded a penalty to Cagliari after reviewing an incident involving Alex Sandro. Gianluigi Buffon saved the penalty taken by Diego Farias, helping Juventus maintain their lead in a 3–0 victory. This historic penalty kick introduced a new technological framework to Italian football meant to reduce controversies.
- •Juventus led 1-0 before VAR was introduced.
- •The VAR penalty was awarded in the 37th minute.
- •Gianluigi Buffon saved the first VAR penalty in Serie A.
- •Juventus won 3–0 with goals from Paulo Dybala and Gonzalo Higuaín.
- •This match set a precedent for future use of VAR in Italy.
- 5:47 PMYahoo Sports — This day in Juventus history: VAR makes its Serie A debut
"Serie A's first VAR penalty against Juve was supposed to flip the script, but Gianluigi Buffon kept it business as usual
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