In a bold move, AC Milan’s senior advisor Zlatan Ibrahimovic has publicly called for respect from referees, citing a series of contentious decisions that have affected the team throughout the current season. The former Swedish striker used the press conference introducing new signing Joao Felix as a platform to voice the club’s frustrations, particularly regarding the recent match against Empoli.
Ibrahimovic’s comments focused on two key incidents from the Empoli game: a potential red card offense by Liberato Cacace on Kyle Walker that went unpunished, and the controversial dismissal of Fikayo Tomori following an offside that wasn’t initially flagged. The Milan executive criticized both the on-field referee and VAR for their handling of these situations.
“I always ask our players to be respectful towards referees,” Ibrahimovic stated. “At halftime, I requested the referee to show respect for Milan’s players. I’m surprised our players didn’t react more strongly to Walker’s situation, which was out of control. If it goes wrong, a player could be out for a year.”
Ibrahimovic announced that Milan would be sending an official letter to the Italian Referees Association (AIA) to address these concerns. He emphasized that this isn’t an isolated incident, recalling several other controversial decisions from earlier in the season.
The club’s grievances extend back to Paulo Fonseca’s tenure as manager, including a disputed goal by Charles De Ketelaere for Atalanta where he appeared to push Theo Hernandez. Other contentious moments include a denied penalty claim for Reijnders against Roma, another for Tammy Abraham versus Cagliari, and an offside interference in a Cagliari goal against Milan.
More recent incidents involve questionable red cards shown to Bartesaghi against Lecce and Reijnders facing Udinese, both of which Milan felt were harsh decisions.
Ibrahimovic’s public stance marks a significant escalation in Milan’s approach to what they perceive as unfair treatment by officials. “We need respect for Milan,” he insisted. “I don’t want to criticize referees, but this isn’t the first time it’s happened. I’m only asking for respect for Milan and its players.”
As the season progresses, all eyes will be on how referees and the AIA respond to Milan’s complaints, and whether this public pressure will influence future officiating in Serie A matches involving the Rossoneri.
