Milan secured bragging rights in Sunday evening’s Derby della Madonnina against Inter in Serie A. However, the Nerazzurri voiced their frustrations over a possible handball and other officiating decisions after the match concluded. Here’s a recap of the events following last night’s clash at San Siro.
A first-half goal from Pervis Estupinan was enough for Milan to achieve a narrow 1-0 victory over Inter, marking their second win against the Nerazzurri this Serie A season and extending their unbeaten streak against their city rivals to seven games.
Despite the loss, Cristian Chivu’s squad maintains a seven-point lead over the Rossoneri at the top of the league table with 10 games remaining.
What refereeing decisions frustrated Inter during the derby?
Post-match, Inter players and coaching staff expressed their dissatisfaction toward referee Daniele Doveri and his crew.
The contentious moment arose in the 95th minute when a possible handball involving Samuele Ricci was debated. The ball struck Ricci’s arm after deflecting off Denzel Dumfries, but the referee ruled that Ricci’s arm was in a natural position and that he made a genuine attempt to avoid the ball.
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Referee Doveri determined that Ricci did not make his body “unnaturally larger” and opted against awarding a penalty kick.
After the match, Nerazzurri head coach Chivu stated: “I’ve been informed that the VAR reviewed it, so I don’t have anything further to say. My focus is on our performance and my own decisions and mistakes. There are still 10 matches to play, with 30 points available, so we need to build on what we’ve achieved so far.”
MILAN, ITALY – MARCH 08: Cristian Chivu, Head Coach of FC Internazionale Milano, observes prior to the Coppa Italia Quarter-Final match against Torino at U-Power Stadium on February 04, 2026. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
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Beyond the handball incident, Inter’s coaching staff, including assistant Aleksandar Kolarov, were also displeased with the six minutes of added time, feeling it was insufficient.
Additionally, just before the handball appeal, Carlos Augusto found the net from a corner kick, but the goal was disallowed as Doveri had already blown the whistle for a scuffle in the area.
MILAN, ITALY – MARCH 08: Referee Daniele Doveri shows a yellow card to Alessandro Bastoni of Inter during the Serie A match at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on March 08, 2026. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
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According to Corriere dello Sport, referee Doveri could have issued additional yellow cards during the match, specifically to Estupinan for a foul on Nicolo Barella, to Adrien Rabiot for a foul on Federico Dimarco, to Fikayo Tomori for a foul on Piotr Zielinski, and to Ange-Yoan Bonny for a foul on Estupinan.