Stefano Pioli has suggested that referee Maurizio Mariani should have given Luca Gatti some harsher punishment for his repeated fouls on Rafael Leao.
In the end Juventus triumphed 1-0 at San Siro last night and Manuel Locatelli’s deflected shot in the second half was decisive, but the major incident was the 40th minute red card that Malick Thiaw got for a last-man foul on Moise Kean.
Mariani didn’t hesitate in sending the Germany international off, but in his post-match comments Pioli suggested that the referee might have not used his cards quickly enough in a battle that took place down Milan’s left side.
His comments were relayed by Corriere dello Sport (via PianetaMilan) and he started with an assessment on the game overall, which was another damaging defeat in the Scudetto race after the one against Inter.
“I didn’t speak to the team immediately after the race, it’s not the right moment after a game like this, because there is too much tension and disappointment,” he said.
“It wasn’t the result we were hoping for. We played a good game with eleven men, we weren’t inferior to Juve even with ten men. Despite the numerical inferiority, we could have taken the match home.
“We should have filled the area more in the first half when we crossed with Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic. Thiaw’s red card is a naivety of both the department and the individual, but even with ten of us we have shown that we are not inferior to Juve.
“On that occasion, Thiaw had to stall and not accept the one-on-one match . He was also unlucky because he slipped. He should have defended himself better.
“Gatti did a lot of fouls on Leao, but really many, many fouls. There is the regulation that says that if you commit repeated fouls, then it’s a caution. It seems to me that this is the case, at least. Did he get one? Yes but late.”
Sofascore showing gatti made 5 fouls