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One of the sour notes from AC Milan’s win against Hellas Verona yesterday was the yellow card shown to Theo Hernandez after he scored the opening goal, because it means he is suspended for the next league game against Fiorentina.
As Calciomercato.com recall, the referee Maurizio Mariani believed that the way Theo celebrated was a provocation of the home supporters with his arms folded and a cheeky expression. In reality, the Frenchman always celebrates like this, even at home in front of his own fans.
There’s more to the story, too. After the game, Theo posted a photo of his celebration on his Instagram page and his friend Brahim Diaz was among the first to comment.
The former Rossoneri playmaker – who returned to Real Madrid last summer – is even tagged by Theo Hernandez: a rather clear dedication to the new Moroccan international, who just yesterday celebrated in a similar way after his goal against Osasuna.
Theo has already received 10 yellow cards this season and there will be those who rightly point out that he must improve from a discipline perspective. Against Verona, however, he seemed to be the victim of an unfair decision.
That sent Stefano Pioli ‘into a rage’ as per the report: “He always celebrates like this, he always says ‘speak, speak’. It wasn’t a protest or a lack of respect towards the opposing fans.
“The Verona coach’s intervention meant that argument, a misunderstanding could arise. But Theo didn’t do anything and now we will have a suspended player. I believe that you have to talk a lot and well with your players, and you have to leave the others alone.”
The reference is to Verona coach Marco Baroni who lashed out at the French full-back verbally after the goal, seemingly having been alerted by his team manager who misunderstood the gesture.
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