AC Milan CEO Giorgio Furlani called the institutions to protest over the penalty awarded and then revoked for Nkunku during Milan-Bologna.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Furlani contacted the institutions, in particular the FIGC and the Lega, after Sunday night’s match to express the club’s dissatisfaction. Milan appreciated the remarks of FIGC president Gabriele Gravina, who admitted it was an "clear mistake," as well as the acknowledgment of error from the referees’ association (AIA).
As reported on Gazzetta.it, Furlani made the calls after the game to voice strong disappointment over referee Marcenaro’s decision and, above all, the role of VAR official Fabbri, who summoned him to the monitor to review the Freuler-Nkunku contact but not the earlier and clearer foul by Lucumi on Nkunku, which should have been a penalty. That incident sparked Milan’s protests and the sending off of Massimiliano Allegri, who has since been suspended by the Sports Judge.
Milan moved quickly on Sunday night and remained in contact with the institutions on Monday. In recent hours, according to the online edition of the Gazzetta, the club valued both the AIA’s recognition of the mistake, Fabbri will be sidelined from VAR duties for a couple of rounds, and Gravina’s comments on Radio Anch’io Sport: “It was an obvious error, but when we talk about technology we move forward, we do not go backwards. Technology has greatly reduced the percentage of mistakes, as you can see in those cases where referees, without it, are unsure and openly seek confirmation," as relayed via Calcio Mercato. This shows there was dialogue between Milan and the FIGC, as well as between Milan and the Lega.
Different from the past
In past years, Milan almost always tried to keep disputes with referees to a minimum, especially during the Pioli era. Even in this case the protest was not harsh, but something has changed: Furlani did make the call, in order to prevent incorrect refereeing decisions from influencing results and fueling tensions on and off the pitch.
