Milan Skriniar had a disastrous outing in Inter’s unexpected 1-0 loss to Empoli and his work was widely panned by the Italian press.
The 27-year-old Slovakian centre back looked off the mark throughout the first half, picking up a booking after just 25 minutes, and his evening came to a shockingly early end after he was shown a second yellow card in the 40th minute, sending him off before half time.
Inter went on to lose the match 1-0, allowing Empoli to pick up a historic win at San Siro. For Simone Inzaghi’s side, it’s a result that could prove crippling in their chase of league leaders Napoli, who they now sit 13 points behind.
La Gazzetta dello Sport touched on Skriniar’s contract situation when discussing his performance in the defeat to Empoli, noting: “If it ended like that, it’d be a shame. He’s a professional and so it’s not fair to assume a market distraction either. But he’s always late and the challenge on Caputo, when he was booked, doesn’t make sense.”
Corriere dello Sport echoed these sentiments, disappointed with his work on the pitch, saying: “He doesn’t exactly pick the right game to get sent off, even though the Inter fans cheered him on as he left. Risky challenge on Caputo in that area.”
Tuttosport underlined how the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza were backing the defender despite the transfer market noise, something he didn’t repay on the pitch: “San Siro, despite everything, pamper him and he certainly cannot claim to have played under pressure. Also, for this reason, the foolishness he committed by planting his big foot on Caputo’s head is even more serious.”
Corriere della Sera highlighted the impact of Skriniar’s red card to his squad, commenting: “He complicates Inter’s life by leaving them as 10 before half-time. The second yellow, a kick on Caputo’s head, is an unforgivable naivety.”
Skriniar’s ratings in the Italian newspapers
La Gazzetta dello Sport: 4
Corriere dello Sport: 4
Tuttosport: 4
Corriere della Sera: 4