'These are not fouls!' - Luciano Spalletti makes surprise referee admission after controversial Milan goal against Juventus

Spalletti has publicly defended referee Mariani following Juventus' hard-fought Serie A clash against Milan. The Bianconeri boss refused to complain about a controversial incident involving his forward Kolo Muani and Koni De Winter. The physical coming together between the two players eventually led to a goal for Milan, prompting debate over whether a foul should have been awarded.

However, Spalletti was quick to shut down any complaints regarding the match officials. Instead of deflecting blame, the veteran Italian manager praised the refereeing standards on display. He insisted that his side's defence must take responsibility for their own shortcomings rather than looking for excuses.

Spalletti believes Italian football must align with global refereeing trends by ignoring minor physical contacts. He stressed that Mariani made the correct call by allowing play to continue in the build-up to the goal.

"Mariani is one of the best Italian referees and in my opinion, the line we are seeing is correct," Spalletti explained during his post-match press conference. “We are adapting to what happens around the world. These are not fouls and it is right not to blow the whistle.

“Either there is an impact, a foul... Everything is fine, I am not going to complain about these things here. The team should have brought the goal home earlier."

Moving away from the refereeing debate, Spalletti shifted his focus towards the tactical improvements required from his squad. He wants his players to be much more proactive both in and out of possession.

"I am asking them to go and press, and to build serious things when we have the ball," the manager noted. "Then to make them learn that the real difference is made in the spaces that no one measures. It is made in those moments where everything seems normal and you have the strength to overturn the result."

This draw leaves Juve stuck in fifth place in the standings with seven points. They will aim to bounce back and secure a win when they visit Sassuolo for their next Serie A match this weekend.