A blatant referee error drives Milan up the wall – Serie A

Milan’s players can’t believe it and talk to referee Marco Serra. © ANSA / MATTEO BAZZI

AC Milan lost the match against Spezia 2-1 on Monday evening – also because of a blatant referee error. The Rossoneri are beside themselves.

January 18, 2022

Author: it

Added time is running between Milan and Spezia, the score is 1-1. Milan’s Rebic is fouled by Bastoni a few meters from the opponent’s penalty area – but the ball rolls on to Messias, who scores the much-acclaimed 2-1 for Milan with a wonderful flick. Or not? No, because referee Marco Serra had previously interrupted the action and awarded a free kick. Milan can’t believe it, but it gets even worse: In the 6th minute of injury time, Spezia counters skillfully and finally it is former FC South Tyrol player Emmanuel Gyasi who scores the 2:1 that was no longer thought possible. Crazy final minutes!

After the game, the goal that wasn’t scored, but also the otherwise error-prone performance of the 39-year-old Serra, was the number one topic of conversation Gazzetta dello Sport reported, even the referee association AIA is said to have apologized to Milan.

Pioli is angry

In any case, Milan coach Stefano Pioli was served after the match: “After this episode at the end, I tried to calm my players down, but I didn’t succeed. We knew that an injustice had happened to us and that’s why we lost perspective. He (the referee) called a foul on Rebic here, which maybe wasn’t even one. And the ball was already with Messiah. He didn’t referee a single one of these contacts throughout the game.”

Referee Serra is now likely to be sidelined for a few games. That’s cold consolation for Milan, however.