Referee chiefs confirm Ricci handball in Milan derby not worthy of penalty kick | OneFootball

Referee chiefs agree that Samuele Ricci’s handball in the final minutes of Sunday’s Milan derby was not worthy of a penalty kick as the Italian midfielder didn’t increase the volume of his body, Gazzetta reports.

Referees verdict on Ricci handball incident

Referee Daniele Doveri and VAR made the right decision in not awarding a penalty kick to Inter in the final minutes of Sunday’s derby against Milan after Rossoneri midfielder Ricci touched the ball with his arm inside the box.

As reported by Gazzetta, referee chiefs agree that Ricci’s handball was not a punishable offence.

PARMA, ITALY – NOVEMBER 08: Samuele Ricci of AC Milan during the Serie A match between Parma Calcio 1913 and AC Milan at Stadio Ennio Tardini on November 08, 2025 in Parma, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

Ricci did touch the ball with his arm, but the impact occurred while he was in motion, without increasing the volume of his body, and, above all, the act of pulling his arm back reduced the punishability.

Milan’s eventual 1-0 win over their city rivals allowed the Rossoneri to reduce their gap from the top of the table, but Max Allegri’s men still remain seven points below the Nerazzurri with ten Serie A games to go.

MILAN, ITALY – MARCH 08: The AC Milan fans show their support during the Serie A match between AC Milan and FC Internazionale at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on March 08, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)