Tijjani Reijnders was handed a red card in AC Milan’s game against Udinese for stopping a ‘clear goalscoring opportunity’. However, as the former referee Luca Marelli explains, it’s a decision that leaves a bitter taste.
The incident took place in the 29th minute as the Udinese player Sandi Lovric found himself in a very good position. Reijnders tracked back and as he tried to cross the opponent’s path, to get on the right side, there was contact and the referee handed out a red card.
However, as the replays showed, the contact was far from obvious and the Udinese player certainly made the most of it. Furthermore, some would even argue that it was Lovric who initiated the contact rather than the other way around.
Speaking to DAZN after the game, as cited by MilanNews, the former referee and current expert Luca Marelli shared his thoughts on the decision. Since referee Daniele Chiffi made the decision himself, there was no way for VAR to intervene as there was technically contact.
“It leaves a bitter taste in the mouth because it’s not easy to accept, but the rules say that intentionality counts for nothing. There was contact with Lovric, there are all the elements to speak of a clear goalscoring opportunity. Technically the decision is unexceptionable,” he stated.
I made an upscaled 4K 120fps video of the segment where Lovric fell down in front of Reijnders and uploaded it to youtube. You can find the video by searching for the title:
“Lovric trips himself to get Reijnders red carded”.
To be fair, from that angle, it seems that Reijnders knee brushes Lovric’s feet. Not enough to bring him down, just enough to give Lovric a reason to fall..
from your video, i think it not red card. football is contact sport, so with that small contact, it should not be card at all. Free kick should be enough. Same rules as ball toward hand on penalty box, not hand toward ball as its clear penalty kick
I don’t think that there is a freekick but if it is deemed as one then there is no question that the ref should give a red card no way around that as its part of the ruleset.
As I said though I don’t see it.
Should be free kick for Milan with Lovric got yellow card for simulation.
I don’t know what everyone saw but for me that was simulation and udinese player should have been yellow card.
He was deliberately looking for contact from Reinjders and if we all look at the replay it very clear and obvious to me that there was no contact from Reinjders.
Lovric tripped over his own leg with his left leg hitting the back of right leg.
There was absolutely NO CONTACT from Reinjders. This poor officiating and poor sportsmanship at its finest and it’s time uefa and fifa do something about players simulating fouls.
VAR should intervene in ALL incidents on the pitch. It is ridiculous to say VAR can’t intervene in certain situations because what’s the point of even having it then? In the English Premier League EVERY game changing decision by the referee is reviewed by VAR.
The referee was an idiot, because when making a decision,he decided not to look at the VAR properly to see the simulation by Lovric, also the clear red card foul on chukwueze wasn’t even reviewed by the referee right in front of him, that would have shifted the momentum of the game more enjoyable, the win shows justice overall… Forza Milan
Contact or not but Reijnders made A REALLY BAD (amateur) decision to change his running line that way. Hopefully he’ll learn from his mistake. You cannot do that when you’re the last man.