Which refereeing calls upset Inter after 1-0 derby defeat against Milan?

Inter’s frustration mounted after their 1-0 Derby della Madonnina loss to Milan on Sunday evening, as the Nerazzurri voiced complaints about several refereeing decisions, including a contentious potential handball incident.

AC Milan secured a narrow 1-0 victory over their city rivals, Inter, thanks to Pervis Estupinan’s first-half goal. This marked Milan’s second Serie A win against Inter this season, extending their unbeaten streak against them to seven matches. Despite the defeat, Cristian Chivu’s Inter side maintains a seven-point lead over the Rossoneri at the top of the league table, with ten fixtures remaining.

Key Refereeing Decisions That Angered Inter During Derby Defeat

Following the final whistle at San Siro, numerous members of the Inter camp directed their protests towards referee Daniele Doveri and his officiating team.

The most significant point of contention involved a suspected handball by Samuele Ricci in the 95th minute of the match. The ball, deflected off Denzel Dumfries, did strike Ricci’s arm. However, the referee deemed Ricci’s arm to be in a natural position, and the player appeared to make an instinctive motion to avoid contact. Referee Doveri concluded that Ricci did not ‘unnaturally enlarge’ his body with the arm movement and, consequently, did not award a penalty kick.

Inter head coach Chivu addressed the incident post-match, stating, "I was informed that VAR reviewed it, so I have nothing further to add. My focus remains on our performance, my own decisions, and my mistakes. With ten games left and 30 points available, we must build upon our achievements thus far."

Beyond the penalty appeal, Inter’s coaching staff, including assistant Aleksandar Kolarov, expressed dissatisfaction with the allocation of only six minutes of stoppage time at the end of the second half, believing it to be insufficient.

Another controversial moment occurred just before the handball appeal when Carlos Augusto found the net from a corner. However, Doveri had already blown his whistle to stop a scuffle within the penalty area while the ball was still airborne, thereby disallowing the goal.

Furthermore, some observers suggested that referee Doveri could have issued additional yellow cards during the game, notably for fouls by Estupinan on Nicolo Barella, Adrien Rabiot on Federico Dimarco, Fikayo Tomori on Piotr Zielinski, and Ange-Yoan Bonny on Estupinan.