<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/milan/">Milan</a>’s commanding 4-0 victory over Udinese&nbsp;on Friday was supposed to be a night of celebration. Goals from&nbsp;<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/rafael-leao/">Rafael Leao</a>,&nbsp;Strahinja Pavlovic,&nbsp;Theo Hernandez, and&nbsp;Tijjani Reijnders&nbsp;helped bring an emphatic end to a three-game winless run. Even&nbsp;<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/christian-pulisic/">Christian Pulisic</a> nearly added a fifth, only for his goal to be ruled out due to an offside call on Tammy Abraham.



But amid the attacking fireworks, a deeply worrying moment cast a shadow over the result. With less than ten minutes gone in the second half, a collision occurred that not only silenced the stadium but also led to&nbsp;Milan accidentally breaching a rare <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/serie-a/">Serie A</a> regulation—a moment that could have gone unnoticed if not for its unusual consequences.



In the&nbsp;52nd minute, <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/mike-maignan/">Mike Maignan</a>, the Rossoneri’s starting goalkeeper—and captain on the night—raced out of his area to meet a long ball. From the opposite direction came&nbsp;Alex Jimenez, the two colliding at high speed. The result was harrowing. The keeper hit the ground and remained motionless. Play was immediately stopped. Medical personnel rushed in. Within minutes, the stretcher was called.



Though fears initially suggested the worst, the club confirmed later that their star&nbsp;never lost consciousness. He was taken to a&nbsp;hospital in Udine&nbsp;for precautionary testing and kept overnight under observation. On Saturday morning, the club confirmed that all tests came back clear.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1200" height="675" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20250412_WST_565001_maignan-injury-1200x675_dd0f17c7.webp&amp;width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="maignan injury" class="wp-image-565005" srcset="https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/04/12090936/maignan-injury-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/04/12090936/maignan-injury-300x169.jpg 300w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/04/12090936/maignan-injury-768x432.jpg 768w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/04/12090936/maignan-injury-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/04/12090936/maignan-injury-740x416.jpg 740w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/04/12090936/maignan-injury-490x275.jpg 490w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/04/12090936/maignan-injury-250x140.jpg 250w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/04/12090936/maignan-injury.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"></figure></figure>



“The decision to monitor the head injury was purely precautionary,”&nbsp;reported&nbsp;Tuttomercatoweb.&nbsp;“All medical results were negative, and he was discharged this morning.”



<h2>The unusual rule infringement by Milan</h2>



In the chaos that followed the injury, Milan reportedly made a simple, understandable mistake. Maignan had been wearing the&nbsp;captain’s armband, and upon being stretchered off,&nbsp;no one else put it on.&nbsp;Theo Hernandez, Milan’s vice-captain, remained on the pitch for the rest of the game and even&nbsp;scored the club’s third goal—but did so without wearing the armband.



That, technically, is a&nbsp;breach of Serie A regulations. According to league rules, teams must always have a designated captain on the pitch, and that player must wear the armband. Hernandez’s goal, therefore, marks the first time in the league’s modern era that a ‘captain’ scored without visibly being one.



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<div class="ck-youtube"><iframe loading="lazy" title="4-Star Away Win | Udinese 0-4 AC Milan | Leão, Pavlović, Theo, Reijnders goals | Highlights Serie A" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/O97M_Lg0BsU?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>
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Per&nbsp;La Gazzetta dello Sport, the oversight could result in a fine, but it is considered unlikely.&nbsp;“The referee, Juan Luca Sacchi, should have pointed out the issue,”&nbsp;the outlet noted,&nbsp;“but given the circumstances, it would be harsh to punish Milan.”



The incident may have opened an obscure rulebook loophole, but for the Red and Blacks, the bigger takeaway was that their captain avoided serious injury. With a vital clash against Atalanta looming on April 20, the focus now shifts to recovery.

Christian Pulisic and Rafael Leao’s team in hot water? Milan’s unintentional Serie A rule violation could lead to sanctions

Christian Pulisic and Rafael Leao's team in hot water? Milan’s unintentional Serie A rule violation could lead to sanctions - World Soccer Talk

Pulisic and Leao caught in rule breach drama: Milan breaks rare Serie A protocol involuntarily

destacadas

After suffering a third straight loss in Serie A, <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/milan/">Milan</a>‘s miserable streak continues as they lose even more ground in their quest to qualify for the UEFA Champions League. The pressure mounts on the Rossoneri, who must find a way to bounce back against Lecce without one of their key players.



As head coach<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/sergio-conceicao/"> Sergio Conceicao</a> and his players prepare for their crucial league match on March 8, a fresh setback has emerged. A key figure in the squad will be absent due to disciplinary action, forcing the manager to make adjustments to his starting lineup. With the quartet of <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/christian-pulisic/">Christian Pulisic</a>, Joao Felix, Rafael Leao, and Santiago Gimenez under immense pressure to turn things around, they must now do so without a vital teammate.



It has now been confirmed that <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/mike-maignan/">Mike Maignan</a>, Milan’s first-choice goalkeeper, will miss the upcoming Serie A clash against Lecce due to suspension. The French shot-stopper has been handed a one-game ban and a €15,000 ($15,800) fine for an incident that occurred after Milan’s 2-1 loss to Lazio. According to the ruling by the Serie A Sports Judge, the 29-year-old was not sanctioned during the match but received a post-game suspension for disrespecting the referee in the tunnel leading to the locker rooms.



“For having, at the end of the match, in the tunnel leading to the locker rooms, addressed a disrespectful expression to the referee,” stated the official report, as cited by TMW.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1200" height="675" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20250304_WST_558006_maignan-milan-1200x675_95e49899.webp&amp;width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="maignan milan" class="wp-image-558011" srcset="https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/03/04124731/maignan-milan-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/03/04124731/maignan-milan-300x169.jpg 300w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/03/04124731/maignan-milan-768x432.jpg 768w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/03/04124731/maignan-milan-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/03/04124731/maignan-milan-740x416.jpg 740w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/03/04124731/maignan-milan-490x275.jpg 490w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/03/04124731/maignan-milan-250x140.jpg 250w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/03/04124731/maignan-milan.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"></figure></figure>



This ruling has come as a surprise, given that the French shot-stopper was not shown a card during the game. However, his post-match actions have resulted in Milan being without their star goalkeeper for a crucial league fixture.



<h2>Controversial officiating and penalty decision</h2>



The suspension stems from a highly controversial moment in the match against Lazio. During added time, the Frenchman was penalized for a challenge on Gustav Isaksen, which led to a last-minute penalty for the Biancocelesti. The decision to award the penalty was contentious, as Maignan appeared to make a legitimate play for the ball, and the contact seemed minimal.



Despite the VAR intervention, the referee awarded the spot-kick after reviewing just one replay. The resulting penalty contributed to the Red and Blacks’ third consecutive <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/serie-a/">Serie A</a> defeat, adding further frustration to an already struggling squad.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1200" height="675" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20250304_WST_558006_felix-leao-milan-1200x675_85934d96.webp&amp;width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="felix leao milan" class="wp-image-558010" srcset="https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/03/04124722/felix-leao-milan-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/03/04124722/felix-leao-milan-300x169.jpg 300w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/03/04124722/felix-leao-milan-768x432.jpg 768w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/03/04124722/felix-leao-milan-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/03/04124722/felix-leao-milan-740x416.jpg 740w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/03/04124722/felix-leao-milan-490x275.jpg 490w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/03/04124722/felix-leao-milan-250x140.jpg 250w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/03/04124722/felix-leao-milan.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"></figure></figure>



<h2>What are Milan’s options without Maignan?</h2>



With Maignan suspended, Milan will turn to Marco Sportiello as his replacement. The Italian goalkeeper will be expected to step up in a game where the club cannot afford to drop more points.



Adding to Milan’s woes, Strahinja Pavlovic will also miss the match against Lecce after being sent off against Lazio. This means Conceicao will have to reshuffle his defense while also dealing with the absence of his starting goalkeeper.

Issues pile up for Milan: Christian Pulisic, Joao Felix, Rafael Leao, and Santiago Gimenez lose key teammate ahead of Serie A clash vs Lecce

Issues pile up for Milan: Christian Pulisic, Joao Felix, Rafael Leao, and Santiago Gimenez lose key teammate ahead of Serie A clash vs Lecce - World Soccer Talk

AC Milan stunned Udinese with a thrilling 3-2 comeback victory on Saturday in Serie A.



Unfortunately, racial shouts allegedly aimed at Rossoneri goalie, Mike Maignan, overshadowed the otherwise stunning triumph for his side.



Purportedly racist comments from Udinese supporters caused the France No. 1 to walk off the field. That caused this weekend’s <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/serie-a-tv-schedule/">Serie A</a> match to be temporarily halted midway through the first half.



<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/ac-milan-snap-up-lille-goalkeeper-maignan-in-five-year-deal-20210527-CMS-335370.html">Maignan</a> motioned for his teammates to halt just as <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/ac-milan-tv-schedule">Milan</a> took a 1-0 lead and were ready to execute a penalty kick. “This isn’t the first time this has occurred to me”, the 28-year-old told <a href="https://www.dazn.com/en-MK/home" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">DAZN</a>, adding that they made monkey sounds.



His Red and Black teammates tried to reassure him from the sidelines. But after removing his gloves, the ex-Lille ace began to make his way down the tunnel, with his teammates close behind.



At one point during the match, Maignan informed the referee about monkey chants. It only led to a statement at the Stadio Friuli requesting that the crowd cease their behavior.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="445" height="574" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20240121_WST_484885_image-23_4f8f6fa2.webp&amp;width=445&amp;height=574" alt="" class="wp-image-484895" srcset="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/01/image-23.png 445w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/01/image-23-233x300.png 233w" sizes="(max-width: 445px) 100vw, 445px"></figure><figcaption>Mike Maignan was the target of racist shouts during AC Milan’s game against Udinese</figcaption></figure>



<h2>What happened next?</h2>



While the game was off, Milan issued a quick statement expressing their support for the goalkeeper: “There is absolutely no place in our game for racism: we are appalled. We are with you, Mike.



Returning to the field, Maignan and the rest of the Serie A squad resumed play around five minutes after the ban. Udinese scored an equalizer through Samardzic, demonstrating how this stoppage significantly influenced the away side.



Then, the second half began with the White and Blacks ahead thanks to a slew of Milan’s defensive mistakes. To Stefano Pioli’s relief, one of his substitutes, Jovic leveled the score in the 83rd minute.



Because of it, the Rossoneri were able to gain some momentum in the game and eventually scored in stoppage time. In the 93rd minute, Okafor saved the day as he came off the bench, and the squad prevailed.



<h2>What did Mike Maignan say after game?</h2>



After the game, Mike Maignan addressed the crowd and thanked his teammates for their encouragement before explaining his decision to leave the field.



“What happened in the first half is that at the first goal kick, I heard monkey noises, I said nothing. The second time I went to get the ball, I heard it again. I told the fourth official and my bench what happened.



“I said we cannot play football like this. It is not the first time it has happened this way. We have to say that what they are doing is wrong. It is not the whole crowd, most fans want to cheer on their team and jeer you, that’s normal, but not this.”



“I was upset to have to go into the changing room like that but I had everyone’s support. We talked and then we made the decision to go back out onto the field and make the appropriate response — to win this game.”



“I really didn’t want to play anymore. But we’re a family and I couldn’t leave my teammates like that”, he told <a href="https://sport.sky.it/calcio/serie-a/2024/01/20/maignan-cori-razzisti-milan-udinese-intervista-video" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sky Italia</a>.



Photo credit: IMAGO / ABACAPRESS

Bad episode of racism in Serie A: What happened to Maignan?

Racial shouts allegedly aimed at Rossoneri’s goalie Mike Maignan overshadowed the otherwise stunning triumph for his side.

Bad episode of racism in Serie A: What happened to Maignan? - World Soccer Talk

The last time Milan punched its ticket to the Champions League quarterfinals was the 2011/12 season. In that time, which spans over a decade, Milan went through struggles that saw the historic club finish 10th in Serie A. However, last season’s Scudetto winners are remedying the wounds with impressive performances against elite European opposition.



This time, it was a gutsy scoreless draw on the road at Tottenham Hotspur. Following a <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/milan-wins-drab-first-leg-in-round-of-16-over-tottenham-20230214-WST-419847.html">1-0 win at San Siro</a>, Milan used similar tactics to starve Spurs of any true threats on goal. Then, a careless and frankly silly second <a href="https://twitter.com/CBSSportsGolazo/status/1633586658229776384" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">yellow card offense</a> from Cristian Romero made the one-goal mountain that much steeper for Antonio Conte’s side. Despite the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/conte-back-with-tottenham-after-doctors-approve-return-20230307-WST-422620.html">Italian’s return to the touchline</a>, Tottenham were devoid of offensive opportunities, perhaps a credit to Milan’s defense. 



Traditionally, in a scoreless draw where one team advances, the applause goes to the goalkeeper. Mike Maignan made saves, yes. However, the attempts Spurs had were tame for the most part. It took desperation in stoppage time for Spurs to truly test the Frenchman. Son Heung-min whipped a free kick in and Harry Kane met it with his head. Maignan instinctively got down to his right to claw the ball away from the goal line.



While there was still around five minutes left in stoppage time, Spurs got no better looks. If anything, Milan almost put the tie to bed soon after Kane’s near miss. Regardless, the scoreless draw was was enough to send Milan through on aggregate, stemming from a Brahim Diaz goal in the first leg. 



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">WHAT A SEQUENCE! Tottenham almost score and Milan hit the post! 🤯 <a href="https://t.co/C5tamEnibc">pic.twitter.com/C5tamEnibc</a>— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) <a href="https://twitter.com/CBSSportsGolazo/status/1633589849541455872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2023</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<h2>Milan back in Champions League quarterfinals, Spurs trophyless again</h2>



To many, Milan was a surprise winner of Serie A a season ago. Inter looked poised to defend its crown while Napoli continued building and Juventus reeled. Milan under Stefano Pioli did enough to win the Scudetto for the 19th time, level with Inter for second in history.



However, Milan truly has its history built in the UEFA Champions League. Therefore, the performance from Milan to get back into the quarterfinals of the Champions League is where many supporters of the Rossoneri believe they belong. After all, Milan’s seven titles are the second-most all time by a club.



For Spurs, the trophy cabinet is not as glittering. Now, elimination in the round of 16 leaves Harry Kane and Son Heung-min trophyless again. The last time Spurs won a major trophy was back in the 2007/08 League Cup. 



This loss brings even more questions to the future of some of the key names at Tottenham. Antonio Conte is out of a contract at the conclusion of this season. Consequently, he has at most 12 games remaining on his current contract, all part of the Premier League after FA Cup elimination recently. Harry Kane may be more inclined to leave after another disappointing conclusion to the season.



PHOTO: IMAGO / Action Plus

AC Milan returns to the Champions League quarterfinals after managing a scoreless draw at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to advance on aggregate.

Milan in Champions League quarterfinals for first time in 11 years

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