Former AC Milan goalkeeper Giovanni Galli has explained why the winning goal for Parma on Sunday should have been disallowed.
Inside the final 10 minutes of Milan’s streak-ending defeat to Parma, there was a hugely divisive incident from which the away side took the lead and ultimately snatched all three points.
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Troilo arrived to head in a corner at the far post from which it looked like he had fouled his man, while Maignan was also impeded, so the referee blew for a foul. He was then called to the VAR monitor and – after a review of around three minutes – he gave the goal.
Since then, there has been a lot of debate. Galli, a former goalkeeper, spoke during an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) and as part of it he was asked for his take on the controversial incident that took place a couple of days ago.
Was it a foul by Valeri on Maignan?
“A goalkeeper isn’t a defender like any other, he can’t think too much about where to move, and so he must be protected, especially in the six-yard box. Over the years, rule changes to encourage spectacular play and goal-scoring have penalised the goalkeeper.
“Think of the back pass or the introduction of ‘light’ balls. Blocks, however, have always existed. In my day, they were even used on opposing defenders to free up your own attacker. Then the referees noticed and stopped doing them.
“As a goalkeeper, I didn’t want my own defenders around me; I wanted to mark the man closest to me because the referee couldn’t always tell who was bothering me or blocking me, whether it was a teammate or an opponent.
“In any case, you can’t prevent the goalkeeper from reaching the ball or getting in its path. In Sunday’s case, I think it’s clear that Maignan was blocked. It’s a foul, period. End of discussion.”
