Alessandro Florenzi joined the crowd of people criticising Davide Massa’s officiating during AC Milan’s 1-1 draw against Bologna this afternoon.
It did not even take a minute for the home side to open the scoring as Aebicher was allowed to cross for Sansone, who got there before Kalulu and finished, but it looked as though Fode Ballo-Toure was fouled in the build-up.
Then there were three penalty shouts for Milan at the other end with Ante Rebic and Alexis Saelemaekers going down under contact, while the ball clearly struck Lucumi’s arm in the second half even though it hit his body first.
Florenzi spoke to DAZN after the game to try and pick apart an intense game and one where quality was lacking in the final moments, but also one full of controversy. His comments were relayed by MilanNews.
“The approach was not what we wanted. Then after the first two minutes we faced the match in a fair way. There is a clear penalty on Rebic… I don’t know why they didn’t boo him. Lucumi’s hand ball could be given. The first is really clear to see, even compared to the second,” he said.
How do Milan get to the Champions League from here?
“I’ve never had a group that tackles games like this. Last year we won the Scudetto and, before the important games, especially the last few, it seemed inside the dressing room – I was used to charging myself up – and I saw the team limp… And I said to myself: ‘Am I making a mistake? Is it their attitude?’.
“Then we played incredible games. Then I found this thing again in the second leg against Tottenham, in the first leg against Napoli and I hope to find it again in Naples.
“For me they were limp, eh, but then they showed the opposite. When I don’t play, the next day I have to recover, even when I’m on the bench because I give everything I can…”
What kind of matches are they?
“They are special matches. I will hardly relive the emotions of Roma-Barcelona, but because I speak as a fan and for what I have given to Roma.”
Have you ever played with all these changes?
“There’s a sense of responsibility towards a job, towards the coach, towards those who work for us. We approached the match seriously, setting it up in the way the coach had asked of us, excluding the first minute… We played a good match.”
He also spoke to Sky, starting by talking about the penalties not given to Milan…
“The coach’s words can be shared or not. I don’t even know if I want to stay in the world of football, let alone be a referee. In my opinion, the next step that could be done is for some referees to come and explain their decisions after the match.
“We all make mistakes, myself first of all. Maybe it would be a good proposal also to make people understand what a referee thinks. Today the referee could have been helped differently, especially on the penalty not given to Rebic in the first half.”
On the performance…
“There is regret because we played eighty-nine minutes and not ninety. We didn’t play in the last minute. We took on the match very seriously, everyone played with intensity. However, anger remains over these two clear-cut incidents.”
On the next match in the Champions League against Napoli…
“I’m positive, but in general I am positive in life. We face this game with enthusiasm, there are many people who would like to be in our place. We have the good fortune to play the game, we must do our best to continue believing in a dream.
“I live with emotion every training session, let alone the quarter-finals of the Champions League with Napoli. I think I can do what the coach wants. I’ve been through a difficult period but there are people who are worse off. If you see it this way, it’s certainly all for the best.”
