Monday night’s game against Spezia at San Siro has been overshadowed by the refereeing controversy that cost AC Milan all three points, and it is not the first time officials have stolen the headlines.
MilanNews writes that Marco Serra’s decision to blow his whistle early after Ante Rebic was fouled in injury time with the score at 1-1 proved costly because Junior Messias saw his goal wrongly chalked off after he curled an effort into the top corner.
Then, Emmanuel Gyasi – who was lucky to be on the pitch after surviving multiple calls for a second yellow card – scored a dramatic 95th minute winner. Again Milan feel hard done by, with several games following that theme.
Atletico Madrid: There were multiple contentious issues here, such as sending Franck Kessie off for two quick yellow cards when the second one seemed very soft, with Milan 1-0 up and controlling the game. Then, he gave a penalty in the last minute for an adjudged handball on Pierre Kalulu when Thomas Lemar moved it with his arm first. Suarez scored the penalty and Milan lost a game that would ultimately prove decisive in their elimination from the Champions League groups.
Atalanta: Milan established a 3-0 lead just a few minutes from the end in Bergamo, but they clawed it back to 3-2 and there were huge protests about the second goal because Duvan Zapata clearly fouled Junior Messias. VAR did not intervene despite the clear and evident error and though Milan won, it made it look closer than it was.
Hellas Verona: In the 24th minute of Milan’s game against Verona, with the away side already leading 1-0, the referee gave a penalty because he adjudged that Kalinic was fouled by Romagnoli on the edge of the six-year box. The images on TV suggested it was more a foul the other way around if anything, but the penalty stood and was scored, yet the Rossoneri somehow overturned it to win 3-2.
Roma: In the meeting at the Stadio Olimpico, the referee Maresca sent Theo Hernandez off for a second yellow card that should never have been given, because there was a foul on Krunic in the midfield prior to the challenge involving the Frenchman. Milan played with 10 men for 30 minutes but hung on, while right at the end Veretout went in with a reckless late kick/swipe on Tonali that was arguably a red.
Porto: Admittedly this is not mentioned in the report but we felt the need to add in both games against Porto in the Champions League, during which Porto took the lead both times in controversial fashion, and it was Ismael Bennacer who appeared to be clearly fouled in the build-up to both goals.
Napoli: The goal that gave Napoli the lead was controversial as the linesman gave a throw-in to the away team rather than Milan, but the referee Massa then stole the headlines as he disallowed Franck Kessie’s equaliser for an offside on Olivier Giroud. What transpired afterwards is that the officials got it wrong, because a player is only in an offside position if they are involved in an active play or are attempting to be, with Giroud instead just laying on the ground.
READ MORE: Milan have an eye on the future and are admirers of Frosinone star
Let’s see if that’s the end of it or will there be even more this season… My bet is on the latter.
Why always Milan
You forgot to include Inter pinalti which the referee think Cashie fouled Hakan but it was clearly Hakan who fouled Cashie.
I doubt all these referee errors will stop cause we still have 17 league match and one coppa match.
In the eyes of the football world, Milan is not a big team anymore.
That’s why we get these calls against us.