Inter assistant manager Cristian Stellini believes the referee was a little lenient on Cagliari, but “Lautaro Martinez’s reaction was excessive and he ought to know that.”
Antonio Conte refused to speak to the media, as his assistant Stellini said he “felt unwell” after Inter’s 1-1 draw with Cagliari.
Inter assistant manager Cristian Stellini believes the referee was a little lenient on Cagliari, but “Lautaro Martinez’s reaction was excessive and he ought to know that.”
Antonio Conte refused to speak to the media, as his assistant Stellini said he “felt unwell” after Inter’s 1-1 draw with Cagliari.
Lautaro Martinez’s opener was cancelled out by Radja Nainggolan, then the Argentine striker was sent off for dissent in stoppages, sparking furious scenes at the final whistle.
“The only thing that didn’t work today was the tension we showed at the end of the game,” said Stellini in his press conference.
“It’s not as if this was going to be a decisive game, so we should be more intelligent and learn from these experiences for the future. This match doesn’t end any hopes or ambitions, we take what we get on the field and go forward.
“As far as I am concerned, the refereeing seemed perfectly fine until the moment when the tempers started to fray. Then the referee too lost his focus that spread to the players and fans. VAR did not intervene because evidently it was not considered serious enough, but the truth is referees have never been able to feel relaxed in the San Siro atmosphere.”
Lautaro Martinez was initially booked for dissent, then chased the referee down and said something that was evidently worse, so it was a red card.
“We’ll certainly lose Lautaro for one game, hopefully only one, seeing as the tempers were somewhat frayed all around at the time.
“It’s true some contact was not considered a foul against us, perhaps because people see our players are very strong and physical, but that shouldn’t make a difference on what is considered a foul.
“In any case, Lautaro’s reaction was excessive and he ought to know that. He should learn from what happened today to ensure it never happens again.”