Genoa-Milan: "Constantly lying won't get you anywhere," Rabiot's outburst at refereeing after controversial incident

Rabiot criticized referee Davide Massa on social media after Milan's 2-1 win at Genoa, claiming a foul deserved red rather than yellow and accusing officials of refusing to admit mistakes.

AC Milan won 2-1 at Genoa on Sunday in Serie A's 11th round, but the result was overshadowed by a refereeing controversy involving midfielder Adrien Rabiot. Early in the second half, Rabiot was deliberately fouled by Genoa's Alessandro Marcandalli while running toward goal following a Milan counter-attack.

Referee Davide Massa issued only a yellow card, which Rabiot protested and received a caution himself. The incident sparked significant tension on the Milan bench, leading to three red cards being shown to club staff and medical personnel.

After the match, former Serie A referee Gianpaolo Calvarese defended Massa's decision on Instagram, citing factors such as distance from goal, number of defenders, and ball retention probability. Rabiot responded directly on social media, stating: "In life as in football, you can make mistakes.

You must at least know how to admit them. Constantly lying won't get you anywhere. And it's Italian football that pays the price. Think about it." Calvarese later acknowledged the incident was complex, noting Rabiot was approximately 65 metres from goal and slightly wide, explaining why a yellow card was chosen over red.