Milan held firm to secure a vital 1-0 win over Napoli in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie, but the victory was marred by a poor evening for referee Istvan Kovacs, Apollo Heyes writes.
The Rossoneri edged out a tight win over the league leaders in a tense clash at San Siro, with Ismael Bennacer’s 40th minute strike proving enough to separate the two teams in the first leg of their quarter-final tie.
One person had arguably the biggest impact out of anyone on the pitch: referee Istvan Kovacs, whose work will undoubtedly be a source of debate in the lead up to the second leg of this tie.
The 38-year-old Romanian referee was often at the centre of proceedings, calling 29 fouls across the 95 minutes and handing out nine yellow cards – three to Milan and six to Napoli, one of which was enough to end Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa’s night disappointingly early.
Anguissa’s sending off is a particularly sore point for Napoli, with both of his yellow cards looking harsh, and the painful booking given to Kim Min Jae for a soft challenge further rubbed salt into their wounds – a decision that’ll cost him the chance to play in the second leg.
Although they won the match, Milan weren’t exactly impressed with Kovacs’ work either, visible in Davide Calabria’s rage after the full time whistle.
The Rossoneri defender confronted the Romanian referee after the match ended, furious that his side weren’t given a penalty following a Stanislav Lobotka challenge on Alexis Saelemaekers, another important decision that could have a huge effect on the tie.
Whilst it’s all to easy to point the finger of blame at the officials after a tense and fiery match, it’s clear that Kovacs’ decisions had and will still have major repercussions for the tie, with both Milan and Napoli frustrated at his work following the full-time whistle.
Fabio Cannavaro also highlighted Kovacs’ impact on the game, saying in the studios of Prime Video that Napoli “were affected by the referee, first he didn’t book, then he booked too much”.
Luciano Spalletti was clearly embittered after the match, sharing his frustration at the referee’s work to Sky Sports Italia, commenting: “Since we are talking about blatant gestures, why don’t you tell me about the corner flag? So, you can kick everything around the pitch?”, referring to the moment in the first half when Rafael Leao shattered a corner flag with a dejected kick, a move that didn’t lead to a yellow card.
In a match that should’ve been a celebration of the recent rise of Italian football, referee Kovacs left both clubs and both fanbases furious following the full time whistle.