In a heated Serie A match between Lazio and Milan, two contentious incidents fuelled frustration among the home crowd at Stadio Olimpico.
Referee Marco Di Bello was subject to a load of abuse from Lazio fans after his ‘controversial’ decisions on the pitch.
The Serie A side ended up finishing the match with 8 players after the referee gave red cards to three Lazio players.
The first flashpoint occurred in the first half when Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan collided with Taty Castellanos while clearing an Alessandro Florenzi back-pass.
Lazio called for a penalty, but both the referee and VAR deemed it a natural continuation of Maignan’s motion after clearing the ball.
Lazio was left on the field with 8 players against AC Milan
— FootColic ⚽️ (@FootColic) March 1, 2024
Luca Pellegrini 🟥
Adam Marušić 🟥
Matteo Guendouzi 🟥pic.twitter.com/BX18YVA7QS
They argued that Castellanos couldn’t have benefited from the collision as Matteo Gabbia already had possession.
DAZN’s refereeing pundit Luca Marelli supported this interpretation, concluding that no further action was warranted.
The second incident further incensed Lazio as Luca Pellegrini received his second yellow card for a challenge on Christian Pulisic.
You can see the footage below:
Lazio are down to 10-men against AC Milan as Luca Pellegrini sees red for this challenge… 😳 pic.twitter.com/XBZ8NBGZAq
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 1, 2024
Once again, Castellanos was involved, sustaining a knock to the face in a collision with Ismael Bennacer.
Pellegrini, anticipating a stoppage in play, attempted to shepherd the ball out at the touchline. However, the referee didn’t blow the whistle, allowing Pulisic to seize the opportunity and prompting Pellegrini to pull him back by the shoulders and jersey.
Despite the bloody nose for Castellanos, the yellow card stood. DAZN pundit Marelli highlighted that the collision occurred behind the referee, preventing him from seeing the extent of the injury.
It's all kicking off in Rome as Lazio go down to 8 men! 💥
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 1, 2024
Lazio have two men sent off in two minutes! 🟥
They were already down to 10-men… 😳 pic.twitter.com/QmETrOhLUW
Marelli also suggested that the fourth official should have intervened in this situation.
Milan ended up winning the match 1-0 after a late winner from Noah Okafor.
One fan on Twitter saw the funny side of it all, posting an edited GTA meme, see below:
PULISIC CAUSING THREE LAZIO RED CARDS 🤣🙏 pic.twitter.com/M4IIALIGfi
— gabe🇵🇹 (@itsgabe20) March 1, 2024
The controversial moments in the Lazio vs. Milan clash added fuel to the ongoing debate about the effectiveness of VAR and the need for improved officiating oversight.
