I sparked a lot of debate – well, mainly insults – a few weeks ago when I blogged that Juventus were whingers for spending weeks complaining about refereeing errors against them.
It is only fair, therefore, that I vent my frustration and embarrassment at seeing Milan pull the same ugly trick.
The 'woe is me’ act has always been a fundamental part of Italian football, but I am absolutely sick of it, especially in the situation we saw at Catania.
Robinho dribbled round the 'keeper and his angled drive went past two players until Giovanni Marchese cleared it off the line.
At first glance, it seemed to be a fair decision. From the first television replay, it also looked as if it hadn’t completely crossed over.
As time wore on, different angles emerged to be zoomed in, freeze-framed and digitally-enhanced.
Even then, after the full might of several different television companies, crews and cameras came down on that moment, we still cannot say for sure whether a few millimetres of the ball were on the line.
Unless there is clear space between the ball and the line, it is not a goal. This is precisely the kind of incident goalline technology would be for.
This is why it’s pathetic to see Milan treating this decision as if it were the work of a short-sighted Juventus-supporting linesman with depth perception problems.
The official Rossoneri website plastered a blown-up image of the Marchese incident alongside the (entirely obvious) Gigi Buffon clearance of a Sulley Ali Muntari effort with the headline: 'UNACCEPTABLE.’ If they mean the continuing refusal of FIFA to use goalline technology such as sensors or Hawkeye, then yes, I suppose it is.
If what they are implying is that referees are somehow purposefully punishing Milan, then it is a ludicrous message to give to their supporters.
“When it crosses the line, the rules say that it is a goal, but not for us,” said Vice-President Adriano Galliani, effectively implying Milan are second class citizens in the calcio world.
Quick, someone call Amnesty International, the Rossoneri are suffering under a dictatorship! It’s ridiculous.
So is Massimiliano Allegri’s insistence on dragging Juventus into every single press conference by telling them to “shut up” when he ought to take his own advice.
If we over-react so wildly to incredibly difficult decisions that cannot be clarified even with video evidence, then genuine complaints about silly refereeing errors are belittled.
When everyone moans, the only thing heard is a general cacophony. I’m almost starting to pine for the days of Calciopoli – at least the officials did all this complaining on the phone to the refereeing designator rather than force us all to listen to it...
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