Wife stabs husband after misinterpreting his VAR shouts as personal insults

Nii Ayitey Brown 10:41 - 24 February 2026

A 40-year-old Napoli supporter was stabbed by his wife in Naples after a VAR decision overturned a penalty during the Atalanta vs Napoli Serie A match. The woman was arrested, and the man is hospitalized but not in life-threatening condition, according to police.

What should have been a typical Sunday afternoon watching Serie A football turned into a harrowing domestic incident as a 40-year-old Napoli supporter was stabbed in his home during the Atalanta vs Napoli match.

The incident occurred on Sunday, 22 February, in the Capodimonte district of Naples, as the pair watched Napoli’s 2-1 defeat by Atalanta on television.

According to local authorities and multiple news reports from Daily Sports, the catalyst was a controversial VAR intervention, a penalty initially awarded to Napoli which was overturned after review.

The fan, already agitated by the decision, began shouting and cursing at the screen in frustration which is usually a common scene in countless living rooms worldwide when expressing concern.

Investigators say the man’s shouts were mistaken by his 35-year-old wife as verbal abuse directed at her, rather than at the refereeing decision.

What began as a heated verbal exchange rapidly escalated into physical violence.Reports indicate that the woman first threatened her husband, warning him to leave the room.

When he refused, she allegedly threw a pair of scissors at him before retrieving a kitchen knife from the kitchen. After a missed initial attempt, she succeeded in stabbing him in the side.

During the chaos, she reportedly continued to throw additional blades around the room, with one lodging into the living room wall.

According to reports, the injured fan managed to dial first the emergency services number, and then the ambulance service. Paramedics transported him to Ospedale del Mare (The hospital), where doctors later confirmed his condition was serious but not life-threatening.

Officers have arrested the wife on charges of aggravated assault and domestic violence. She is currently in custody as prosecutors prepare the charging documents; a court date has not yet been announced.