AC Milan secured a 1-0 victory over rivals Inter in Sunday evening’s Derby della Madonnina in Serie A. While Milan celebrated their second win against the Nerazzurri this season and extended their unbeaten run to seven matches against their city foes, Inter expressed significant dissatisfaction with several refereeing calls after the final whistle.
Despite the loss, Cristian Chivu’s squad maintains a seven-point lead at the top of the league with ten games remaining.
Key Refereeing Calls That Upset Inter
Protests erupted from many within the Inter contingent directed at referee Daniele Doveri and his officiating team immediately after the match at San Siro.
The most contentious moment centered around a potential handball by Samuele Ricci in the 95th minute. The ball, deflected off Denzel Dumfries, appeared to strike Ricci’s arm. However, the referee deemed that Ricci’s arm was in a natural position and that he made an instinctive move to avoid contact. Doveri concluded that Ricci did not “unnaturally enlarge” his body, thus deciding against awarding a penalty kick.
Following the match, Nerazzurri head coach Chivu stated, “I was told the VAR checked it, so I have nothing to add. I am focused on the performance, on my decisions, my mistakes.” He added, “There are 10 games to go, 30 points up for grabs, so we’ve got to build on what we’ve done so far.”
Beyond the penalty appeal, Inter’s coaching staff, including assistant Aleksandar Kolarov, were also frustrated with what they felt was insufficient stoppage time, with only six minutes added at the end of the second half.
Furthermore, an earlier incident saw Carlos Augusto put the ball into the net from a corner, but the goal was disallowed. Referee Doveri had already blown his whistle to stop scuffling in the penalty area while the ball was still in mid-air, nullifying the potential equalizer.