Nesta: “Referees Are Ruining Football, We Need to Return to the Old Style”

Head coach of Monza, Alessandro Nesta, expressed his discontent with the officiating following the 11th round Serie A match against Milan (0:1), particularly criticizing the disallowed goal by Dani Mota.

“We feel anger, but we are also proud of these guys. We played two excellent games against Atalanta and Milan. We could have scored four goals in the first half. We scored one, but it was disallowed.

“In my opinion, they are ruining Football, and we need to return to the old style of officiating. What constitutes a foul? The referees apologized to Monza after the game against Atalanta, but apologies won’t save us from losing points. They are making football too complicated, and all of this makes no sense.

Previously, football was simpler; it was a contact sport. Now, every little touch is penalized. If a nail on a foot is ahead, then it’s offside. You have to enter into duels with your hands behind your back; otherwise, it could result in a penalty.

I believe that officiating should adapt to the sport, not the other way around. The rules should be tailored to the nature of the sport, not the vice versa,” Nesta stated to Football Italia.