Spezia coach Thiago Motta ‘expects the same apology from the refereeing chiefs that the big clubs get’ after their ill-tempered 1-0 defeat to Roma.
The Aquile went down to 10 men before half-time for a soft second yellow to Kelvin Amian, who pushed Lorenzo Pellegrini when inside his own half.
Goalkeeper Ivan Provedel performed heroics, but Tammy Abraham converted a penalty at the 99th minute when Riccardo Maggiore’s foot was considered too high as it caught Nicolò Zaniolo during a diving header.
Serie A | Spezia 0-1 Roma: Abraham seals dramatic last-gasp victory
“Our team with a man down controlled the game. We felt freedom with the ball against a great team. It ended the way it ended, but we are on the right track and I am proud of my team,” Thiago Motta told DAZN.
“We thought about winning it, why not? That’s what we play for. There were three incidents that went against us, but my players gave their all and were a man down for the entire second half, but still created chances to score.
“Considering everything we did, a draw was the least we deserved. We will not complain, we will not play victims.”
However, when asked about that second yellow card, the coach aimed a sideswipe at teams like Milan and indeed Roma who have complained about refereeing this season.
“I expect the same apology from the refereeing chiefs that the big clubs got this season. At the end of the day, when we watch the games in Europe and see the way those are officiated, we don’t find incidents like this. We await an apology as a club.
“I also expect an apology for the penalty, because if there is ever any doubt, they whistle against us. It has happened throughout the season. I understand the pressure is going up at this moment, the big clubs start doing it, we pay our taxes too, so we expect the same treatment.”
The coach also had issues with the first yellow card given to Amian for flailing out an arm at Nicola Zalewski.
“I lost a Champions League Final because someone made a simulation like that.”
#ThiagoMotta: ‘Arbitri? Mi aspetto le scuse allo #Spezia come per altri club’. Poi l’accusa a #Zalewski come Busquets: ‘Persi una finale di Champions con una simulazione così’ #SpeziaRoma #Roma https://t.co/BRpu0RstGZ pic.twitter.com/9TaycnehBp
— calciomercato.com (@cmdotcom) February 27, 2022