In this morning's print edition, Il Corriere dello Sport newspaper wrote about Paulo Fonseca's outburst against referee La Penna after the match against Atalanta last weekend.
As per the the Italian newspaper, the Portuguese head coach may avoid being referred for prosecution.
Not because his words at the end of Atalanta - Milan against the referee, Federico La Penna, have been decriminalised—quite the opposite. His remarks were criticised again yesterday. However, the Sports Justice Code offers the Milan coach (like all registered members) a loophole to avoid prosecution and a trial before the National Federal Court, the body that will decide.
What's the situation for Milan's Fonseca?
Milan’s lawyers have already circled number 126, not as an addition to a bingo game but as an article of the CGS that provides for a settlement. This doesn't mean being innocent, which even children know. Simply, by admitting guilt, one can enjoy the benefits provided. Translated into monetary terms, if a suspension were to come (and the prerequisites are there), and if the Prosecutor of the FIGC, Chiné, and the Sports Prosecutor of CONI, Taucer, find the settlement terms acceptable, only a fine would be imposed, however steep. We will know in the coming hours.
In fact, Fonseca's words, which are included in the file opened by Chiné, are particularly severe, especially in a couple of parts. It wasn't just a post-match protest (unfortunately, attacking the referee is a common cliché here), but something that went beyond that. "The way the referee managed the game is a lack of respect for Milan. He was here doing VAR for the Udinese match, and we remember what happened with Reijnders' red card… I was afraid of him for this match, I didn’t sleep,” Fonseca said, complaining not only about De Ketelaere's goal but about the entire conduct of the game by La Penna.
In particular, the phrase "he managed the game" is especially grave because it suggests a criminal and intentional design aimed at altering the course of the match in favor (or against) a particular team. But also, “I was afraid of him” suggests premeditation. Therefore, all of Fonseca’s words will be closely examined.
