Football News

Referee Expert Backs No Penalty Call in Milan 1-0 Inter Derby

July 11, 2026Carlos Mendoza1 мин

Leading refereeing analyst Luca Marelli has affirmed the correctness of Daniele Doveri's decision not to award Inter a penalty in the closing moments of Sunday evening's Derby della Madonnina against Milan, following claims of a handball by Samuele Ricci. Marelli stated the incident was "not punishable."

Milan secured bragging rights in the derby, with a first-half goal proving decisive for the Rossoneri's 1-0 victory. This marked their second consecutive win against Cristian Chivu's squad and their fifth in an unbeaten streak of seven matches against the Nerazzurri.

Despite the loss, Inter maintains a seven-point lead at the top of the Serie A table with ten games remaining. Many observers suggest that Milan is the sole remaining contender capable of challenging the league leaders as the season enters its final phase.

Marelli's Take on the Ricci Handball Incident in Milan 1-0 Inter

In the final minute of second-half stoppage time at San Siro on Sunday night, Inter appealed for a penalty. The ball did strike the arm of second-half substitute Ricci within the penalty area after being touched by Inter defender Denzel Dumfries. However, referee Doveri did not whistle for a handball, judging that Ricci's arm was in a natural position and that he had instinctively attempted to move it away from the ball rather than deliberately towards it.

Post-match on Sunday evening, refereeing expert Marelli voiced his agreement with the decision to take no further action in the derby's dying minutes. "The contact is not punishable because the movement of his arm was to avoid, not create an obstacle," he explained to DAZN.