The performance of Swiss referee Sandro Scharer during AC Milan’s Champions League game against Bayer Leverkusen has come under fire from the Italian media this morning.
Milan since their return to the Champions League have often been tormented and penalised by indecipherable decisions by referees and a lack of intervention from the VAR team, and it happened again last night as several calls went against them.
Tammy Abraham went down inside the Leverkusen box inside the first half but nothing was given, Theo Hernandez appeared to be slapped in the face by Tapsoba, then at the end Ruben Loftus-Cheek looking like he was stamped on by Hincapie right on the line of the box.
This morning’s edition of both Corriere dello Sport and La Gazzetta dello Sport (via Radio Rossonera) have graded the referee’s performance and agree that he got at least one major call wrong.
Corriere dello Sport (5 out of 10 rating): “Scharer’s game wasn’t brilliant, something is puzzling especially about the coach: some fouls were called, others weren’t.
“For everyone, Hincapiè’s tackle on Loftus-Cheek who seemed to be outside the area (VAR must have checked, right?), but the Rossoneri player’s heel hit the line and the German’s ended up right on top of it. More of a penalty than not.”
La Gazzetta dello Sport (5): “There was no yellow card for Tapsoba’s slap on Theo Hernandez. In the second half Abraham was off balance in the area, but the contact was not a penalty.
“Controversy over the foul on Loftus-Cheek at the end: Hincapiè touched his foot more than the ball, the Englishman was on the line, but the intensity of the touch was assessed as low and the VAR did not intervene. It was a penalty, even if the decision seemed consistent with the management.”