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Atalanta head coach Gian Piero Gasperini blasted officials after a Coppa Italia final defeat to Lazio.

It decided the Coppa Italia – Gasperini blasts officials over handball decision

Gian Piero Gasperini was furious with officials after he felt Atalanta should have been awarded a penalty in their Coppa Italia final loss to Lazio.

Late goals from Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Joaquin Correa saw Lazio to a 2-0 victory at the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday, securing their seventh Coppa crown.

But Gasperini felt the game was decided by a decision that went against his side when Lazio defender Bastos, already on a yellow card, appeared to block a shot with his hand.

The Atalanta head coach blasted officials after the game, saying only a failure of technology could explain the decision.

"The handball is a serious episode. I realised after the match. It is absolutely serious," Gasperini told a news conference.

"During this season we saw a lot of penalties for handball that were difficult to spot... Today's one is absolutely clear, with the second yellow card for Bastos. This episode decided the Coppa Italia."

He added: "Why? I can't understand why. Why? How was it possible? It is like they blacked out.

"If they tell me VAR did not work for five minutes is the only excuse I can accept. For five minutes the technology ran out."