Milan’s head coach, Stefano Pioli, abruptly concluded a press briefing following persistent inquiries regarding the alleged ‘unsporting behavior’ of Christian Pulisic during the encounter against Lazio.
Despite Milan securing a 1-0 victory courtesy of a late Noah Okafor goal in the 88th minute, the match was marred by the tumultuous performance of referee Marco Di Bello, who appeared to have lost control during stoppage time.
Di Bello’s decision to dismiss Adam Marusic for dissent and Matteo Guendouzi for a reaction foul seemed excessively stringent, drawing considerable scrutiny. However, it was the expulsion of Luca Pellegrini, who received a second yellow card for fouling Pulisic, that garnered the most attention.
Pellegrini’s challenge occurred as he attempted to shepherd the ball out of play while Taty Castellanos was on the ground, holding his face after an inadvertent collision with Ismael Bennacer. Pulisic, unaware of the situation behind him, seized the opportunity to pursue the loose ball but was subsequently brought down.
Pioli had already come to Pulisic’s defense during the post-match interview with DAZN. However, tensions escalated during the press conference when a journalist persistently pressed Pioli to denounce Pulisic’s actions as “unsporting behavior.”
“Pulisic is a fair player and he respected the rules: until the referee blows the whistle, you keep playing. We could do nothing different.
“I do not agree it was unsporting. Absolutely not. He respected the rules.”
Pioli was subsequently questioned regarding his decision not to substitute Rafael Leao. He responded with a succinct “no” and promptly departed.
Additionally, Davide Calabria defended Pulisic’s actions, stating to Sky Sport Italia that the incident stemmed from a misunderstanding, as Pulisic was unaware of the opponents’ intention to halt play.