It seems like Serie A is never short of attracting wide attention for certain negative occurrences on the field. Almost every month we get news about something controversial happening in Italy’s top football competition.
Last week, all eyes were on the match between Lazio and AC Milan, where the away team won 0-1. Although the result doesn’t seem odd, you should know that the referee gave Lazio 3 red cards.
Why did tempers flare?
The first match of the 27th game week of the Italian Serie A took place last Friday. In this match, Lazio welcomed Milan at the Stadio Olimpico. Everyone expected a tough game, given the fact that both teams are somewhat rivals in the league.
Now, everything was going normal during the first half with both teams attacking, but none of them scoring a goal. However, to be honest, Lazio was closer to getting a lead than the away team.
After that, during the second half, Luca Pellegrini made a yellow in the 50th minute. Then followed his second yellow and a red card just 7 minutes later.
This is when the controversies started to appear. Before the second yellow card, everyone stopped playing because of a collision between two players on the field. But, Pulisic kept on playing and Pellegrini pulled him to the ground.
After this event, the referee Marco Di Bello showed him his second yellow and then the red card. Lazio’s players were protesting as they felt like there was a foul beforehand. But, di Bello didn’t look back and kept his initial decision.
At this point, everything went south for the home team, as Milan took full control of the game. They started to show their full strength in front of Lazio’s goal. Punters that followed the match rushed to the best football betting sites to place a bet on the Rossoneri winning the match.
Then, after numerous shots on goal, Noah Okafor finally scored for Milan in the 88th minute of the match. Things got heated in the following minutes, as Adam Marusic received a direct red card in the 95th minute.
He made a gentle foul on Rafael Leão but then said something to the referee, which resulted in a red card. But, that’s not the end, as Matteo Guendouzi also got a direct red card just one minute after. This came after the Lazio player shoved Christian Pulisic several times, which to most fans looked like punches.
Claudio Lotito’s reaction
Lotito – the president and owner of Lazio – was furious after the match, which seems reasonable. He stated that his team was violated and mortified by the referee Marco di Bello.
Most football fans and experts relate to his statement as the referee completely lost control of the game. Not only did he show 3 red cards to the home team, but also failed to reduce the tension on the pitch.
A few days after the game, Seria A decided to suspend di Bello for at least one month. There are also rumours that di Bello will then continue to officiate in the Serie B when his ban is over. But, to many fans, di Bello’s poor refereeing isn’t news.
In the early stages of this season, Marco di Bello got a month’s suspension after failing to award a clear penalty. This occurred on the 2nd matchday of the Serie A in a match between Juventus and Bologna.
To make things even more absurd, UEFA decided to include Di Bello in a Champions League match. He was the fourth official in the match between Real Madrid and RB Leipzig last Wednesday.
Although the Serie A suspension doesn’t apply in the European competitions, UEFA shouldn’t forget his mistakes in just a couple of days. Being a fourth official might not be a serious role, but it can be crucial if the first official gets an injury.
If that occurs, then the fourth official takes over the match. Luckily for Real Madrid and RB Leipzig, the official referee, Davide Massa, was able to officiate the whole match.
