Spalletti refuses to blame referee for Milan’s goal, appears to taunt journalists

FROSINONE, ITALY - AUGUST 23: Luciano Spalletti head coach of FC Juventus gestures during the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and AC Monza at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on August 23, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Giuseppe Bellini/Getty Images)

Juventus coach Luciano Spalletti admits Koni De Winter didn’t foul Randal Kolo Muani in the build-up to Milan’s opener last night: ‘I’m not going to complain about these things.’

Juventus and Milan picked up a 1-1 draw in their meeting at the Allianz Stadium on Sunday.

Football Italia was among the accredited media and attended Spalletti’s post-match press conference, during which the Italian tactician was asked whether he felt Milan’s opener should have been disallowed for a potential De Winter foul on Kolo Muani in the build-up.

Spalletti: ‘I won’t complain’ about referee after Milan’s goal

“Mariani is one of the best Italian referees, and in my opinion, the line we are seeing is correct,” Spalletti replied.

“If you want to play in Europe, you have to adapt; these are not fouls, and they don’t get called. That’s the right way to do it. Of course, there can be incidents where a foul isn’t given or a yellow card is missed, but at the speed of the game, these things can happen even to a good, experienced referee like him.”

#JuveMilan | il dettaglio della refcam e della visuale di Mariani sul contatto De Winter / Kolo Muani (📸 DAZN).
Non è uno “step on foot” pieno, ma sicuramente il tallone destro del rossonero va a pestare la punta del piede sinistro del bianconero.
🖥️ Lo scorso anno (sebbene le… pic.twitter.com/k649AhFzaS

— Denis Errori Arbitrali (@erroriarbitrali) September 6, 2026

The way Serie A games are being officiated this season is very different from the past, as no penalty kick has been awarded and no VAR intervention has taken place yet.

Spalletti seemed to take a dig at journalists, saying the new refereeing rules might limit their talking points after games.

“As I said the other time, this world ‘contact’ that you like to use,” he said.

“They teach you that contact means nothing. [Referee designator] Orsato will take the music away from you. Because it’s like a melody, and he takes that away from you because he doesn’t blow the whistle for a contact. Either there is an impact, or there is a foul, or you have to call it something else.

“I’m not going to complain about these things; I want to see my team fight until the very end. We were lucky, because we should have taken the goal home earlier.”

Football Italia examined the game during a live post-match show from the Allianz Stadium last night. 

Juventus and Roma have seven points each after the opening three Serie A games, and only Inter and Roma have grabbed nine points in the first three matches.