Milan coach Stefano Pioli is being criticised by Italian papers on Sunday following a 2-2 draw against Lecce: ‘VAR and the referee saved him.’
The Rossoneri were 2-0 up at the break at the Stadio Via del Mare on Saturday, but the hosts found the net twice in the second half and thought they had won the game when Roberto Piccoli scored with a long-range shoot at minute 94.
However, referee Rosario Abisso disallowed Lecce’s potential winner after a VAR check seeing Piccoli’s step on Malick Thiaw’s foot in the build-up.
Milan’s 2-2 draw in Lecce means the Rossoneri are winless in the last four Serie A matches with two draws and two defeats.
Coach Pioli is increasingly under pressure and all Italian sports papers on Sunday rated the Parma-born coach 5/10.
La Gazzetta dello Sport journalist Fabio Licari conceded Pioli was unlucky with injuries as Rafael Leao was forced off the pitch after less than 15 minutes. However, the Rossoneri boss ‘must start asking himself why these ups and downs,’ said La Gazzetta’s journalist.
Il Corriere dello Sport made a comparison with a 2-2 draw against Napoli from a few weeks ago: ‘Once again, Milan collapsed mentally and risked not even bringing a point home.’
Tuttosport also wrote Milan ‘collapsed’ in the second half looking ‘confused.’ The Turin-based paper added that Pioli ‘inexplicably used Musah rather than Florenzi to man-mark Banda’ while ‘VAR and Abisso saved him.’
Disgraceful cancellation of the goal of the season , Milan and its American investors must be protected at all costs!