Ivorian defender Wilfried Singo apologized to Gianluigi Donnarumma after involuntarily slashing his face on Wednesday evening during Monaco/PSG (2-4). The PSG players were indignant in the mixed zone, not understanding why the referee had not sent off the Monegasque defender.
PSG won 4-2 in Monaco on Sunday evening and struck a major blow towards the title by taking a 10-point lead over their evening opponent and over OM, who however have a game in hand. But after the match, one incident of play caused a lot of talk: Wilfried Singo’s wiping of crampons on Gianluigi Donnarumma which forced the Italian goalkeeper to leave the field in the 22nd minute of play.
Donnarumma had to have 10 staples placed on his face and Singo did not receive a second yellow (he had already been warned earlier), nor a direct red, which obviously caused a lot of talk. Luis Enrique did not want to argue after the match, recalling that football was a contact sport and that he was not in the habit of criticizing the refereeing. But the Italian’s teammates expressed their indignation in the mixed zone, not understanding how Singo was able to finish the match.
“In a situation like this, not taking red is strong”
“I think you saw the picture of his injury. The image is a little scary, trust Marquinhos. Those who were there around him were afraid. There was a hole, he had stitches. It’s strange that VAR doesn’t call (…) We have to protect the players. I asked the referee, he told me that it was a continuation of the action. I think VAR doesn’t call him, so he continues. I think that even for him, it was a bit quick, he wasn’t able to see. But we have VAR to properly analyze the action, we had to call it. »
And when journalists showed the image of Donnarumma’s injury to Marquinhos on their phone, the Brazilian captain shuddered : “It’s strong! It’s strong! And there’s not even yellow, right? No yellow, no red. I don’t know what the referee was like, if he was in a good position to see it, but if there is VAR, you had to call him, you had to help him. It’s impossible. We must protect the players. Now we have a player… I don’t know if he will be able to play the next match. In a situation like this, not taking red is strong! »
“The referees did not protect Donnarumma”
Author of the third Parisian goal of the match, after entering the game, Gonçalo Ramos also passed into the mixed zone and also does not understand how the Ivorian defender from Monaco managed not to be sent off by François Letexier: “How is it possible that the player does not take a red card? asked the Portuguese striker. The abiter has only one mission: to protect the players. It’s not me or the players saying that. They told us that at the start of the season. They have to protect the players, and today they didn’t protect Donnarumma. »
“I would like to apologize”
While PSG communicated during the night on the state of health of Donnarumma, “victim of facial trauma with multiple wounds” and obliged to “remain inactive for several days”Wilfried Singo broke the silence on Instagram: “I would like to apologize to Gianluigi Donnarumma. My action was obviously not voluntary, but I was able to see later that he had a significant injury to his face. I wish you a good recovery. »
Already assured of being withdrawn against Lens this Sunday in the Coupe de France, will Donnarumma return to Monaco on January 5 in Doha as part of the Champions Trophy? This seems unlikely. For his part, Singo will be suspended for the Champions Trophy due to his yellow received in the 14th minute for an obstruction on Désiré Doué.
