Adrien Rabiot didn't hide his anger at the officiating, even after Milan beat Genoa 2-1 in matchday 11 of the Italian league.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Rabiot lost his temper after Genoa's Marcandalli fouled him during the clash.
The incident came in the 49th minute. Marcandalli brought the Milan midfielder down just short of the halfway line as the Frenchman broke towards the Genoa goal. Referee Massa reached only for the yellow card, not the red that Rabiot demanded.
Rabiot kept protesting, and Massa booked him for his trouble.
Milan's bench then erupted. The referee dismissed three people in response, among them the doctor and members of the Rossoneri's technical staff.
The row rumbled on after the final whistle. Former referee Calvarese backed Massa's call on his Instagram account.
"The direction of the attack, the distance to the goal, the number of defenders, and control of the ball must be taken into consideration," Calvarese wrote.
Users tagged Rabiot in the comments under the video clip, and the first reply soon arrived.
The Frenchman hit back at the former official directly. "In life, as in football, mistakes can be made, but one must at least know how to admit them," he said.
Rabiot didn't stop there. "Lying constantly will not help you progress. And it is Italian football that pays the price for that. Think about it."
Calvarese then responded to La Gazzetta dello Sport, returning to the incident with his own clarifications. "Let us make clear from the outset that we are facing a complex case, one that falls within the grey area. For had referee Massa shown the red card, the VAR technology would not have intervened to overturn the decision," he said.
For a chance to count as a clear and genuine goalscoring opportunity, four criteria must be met: control of the ball, the general direction of the attack, the number of defenders, and the distance to the goal.
Rabiot, in this case, was about 65 metres from goal and drifting slightly towards one touchline. That is why Massa chose the yellow card.