When AC Milan played AS Roma on Thursday night, a number of their players gave subpar performances. Szymon Marciniak, the referee, was allegedly also guilty of a subpar performance, according to a report.
There are a lot of people to blame for yesterday night’s subpar performance, and considering the importance of the match and the stakes involved, a number of issues will need to be investigated.
Corriere dello Sport (via PianetaMilan) claims that the referee was forgiving right away and that Theo Hernandez “replicated” his decision to send Zeki Celik out with a red card—a decision that was highly dubious in the first place. Even if Theo’s red ruling was overturned, the inconsistent and lackluster decisions cast doubt on the legitimacy of the authorities because they demonstrate a lack of authority.
The Giallorossi’s opening goal was unquestionable, but Milan might have been entitled to a penalty. Upon closer inspection, the VAR department made a decent call by indicating that Olivier Giroud was offside prior to Mancini awarding the penalty.
Referees are the subject of greater conjecture now than ever before, and Thursday’s performance by Marciniak, considering his inconsistent play throughout the match, may help explain why.