Football’s top refereeing officials have affirmed that the controversial handball incident involving AC Milan midfielder Samuele Ricci in the closing minutes of Sunday’s Milan derby was correctly ruled not to be a penalty kick.
Expert Verdict on Ricci’s Handball Incident
Referee Daniele Doveri and the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system were deemed to have made the right call in denying Inter a penalty in the final stages of their derby clash against Milan, despite Ricci touching the ball with his arm inside the box.
According to the referee chiefs, Ricci’s handball was not a punishable offense based on the interpretation of current rules. Key factors in this decision included that Ricci was in motion when the contact occurred and did not unnaturally increase his body’s volume. Furthermore, the act of him attempting to pull his arm back significantly reduced the perceived culpability and thus the punishability of the incident.
AC Milan ultimately secured a crucial 1-0 victory over their city rivals, a result that allowed the Rossoneri to narrow the gap to the top of the Serie A standings. Despite the win, Milan still trails leaders Inter by seven points with ten league matches remaining in the season.
