Genoa President Alberto Zangrillo was furious after the 1-0 defeat to Milan, maintaining Christian Pulisic’s goal should’ve been disallowed for handball and Mike Maignan needs a lengthy ban for a ‘murderous’ challenge.
The Grifone held out very well at Marassi for 86 minutes before Pulisic controlled the Yunus Musah cross with his back to goal, turned and fired in from 12 yards.
VAR held up play for several minutes while examining the incident from multiple angles, but were unable to find any conclusive proof that Pulisic had controlled the ball with his arm and not just his chest.
“I am here to demand respect for the 35,000 who were here in the stadium. Alberto Gilardino is not here, because otherwise he will get a ban. This way I will get the ban, as it doesn’t matter,” Professor Zangrillo told Sky Sport Italia.
“It is clear for all what happened tonight. When there is any reasonable doubt, we are always the ones to succumb, funnily enough. We are stronger even than this and we will prove it.
“We were waiting for two minutes, I was told that when there is no certainty, the original decision from the referee stands. So I bow to that, it’s just odd that the original decision always seems to be against us.”
The drama continued into stoppages, when Mike Maignan was sent off following a VAR review for clattering into Caleb Ekuban as he went to head a loose ball away.
Genoa goalkeeper Josep Martinez then also saw red for a second yellow card, as he had come up for the corner and scythed down Musah.
“As a medic, I can describe that move as murderous. There you go.”
President Zangrillo continued his tirade against the powers that be, although his team has beaten Lazio and Roma this season, as well as holding Napoli to a 2-2 draw.
“Seeing the stadium like this helps us to survive in an increasingly unequal world where the usual suspects always come out on top and because they are on top, somehow they manage to get their ideas onto the football field too.
“The state of mind is that of a warrior who has a battalion of valorous soldiers behind him who every week give their all. We are reasonably convinced of our strengths and as always in life, real values emerge eventually.
“When it is David against Goliath, we are in a world where only one will ever win. There is no point being hypocritical. We are without our goalkeeper next time because he was sent off, we’ll see how many matches Maignan gets of his ban.
“In any case, we are playing two completely different leagues.”
Zangrillo also spoke to DAZN and carried on a similar approach to the situation.
“I am not angry. I am bitter, because this is a sport that at times is ruined. What happened in the last five minutes is clear to everyone. Either we are cowards and try to take people for a ride and my presence here is futile, or we can try to analyse what happened.
“We all saw that Pulisic touched the ball with his arm and a goal is given.”
When DAZN refereeing pundit and former official Luca Marelli pointed out there was no single image that proved beyond doubt that Pulisic had handled, Zangrillo reacted with sarcasm.
“Thank you for your learned lecture, we will try to have clearer footage next time. I am a man who is accustomed to judging objectively, so just say it is handball and there’s nothing more to discuss. It is a matter of common sense, but that is difficult to find in Italy.”
I agree I think the Pulisic goal was a hand ball.
Maignan’s challenge was bad but no so much that it deserves any supplemental discipline. It was a goalie making a play at the edge of the box as if he was in the box. Bad play, but that’s where it ends.
It was incorrect for the referee to stop play to issue the second yellow to Martinez. That should have been advantage and likely a second Milan goal.
It looks like it touched his arm, but I’m not 100% sure about it. I went frame by frame over it, and basically his arm is pulled back as he is turning, and the ball hits what could be called his side chest area. It probably touched his arm there, but not 100% sure since his arm was moved back, creating space on the side of his chest. I mean I’m probably grasping at straws, and I think we were very lucky they didn’t ask the ref to check the video, else I’m sure he’d have given it as handball.
Another Flop by rookie referee, FORZA INTER
Maignan was going for the ball – his knee came up automatically, he wasn’t aiming to hurt the attacker. It was a foul and a red card, no worse.
The “handball” is certainly questionable; from one angle it looks like his chest, from another it looks like the top of his arm.
Either way, club presidents should keep their dignity and behave like adults in public – not like big babies.