AC Milan goalkeeper and captain Mike Maignan has taken to social media to address his straight red card a day after the Rossoneri’s 3-0 UEFA Europa League loss in the pouring rain at AFC Bournemouth.
The Cherries were on the front foot from the moment the game got underway under the lights at the Vitality Stadium. A Koni De Winter handball led to a penalty in just the eighth minute, which Justin Kluivert easily dispatched against the former club of his legendary father, Patrick.
Things quickly spiraled out of control for Milan, with French international Maignan given his marching orders in the 27th minute after forcefully shoving U.S. Men’s National Team midfielder Tyler Adams to the turf with both his hands on the American’s face.
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Lorenzo Torriani was substituted on by ex-Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim in place of Omari Hutchinson ahead of Marcus Tavernier’s penalty, which the 27-year-old thundered into the back of the net.
In the 77th minute, Amine Adli came on for an injured Alex Tóth, going on to score an expertly placed free kick just minutes later to seal all three points and continue their unbeaten run in what is Bournemouth’s first-ever European campaign in their 127-year history.
Now that the dust has settled on a thoroughly disappointing outing for the Serie A giants, Maignan has addressed his sending-off via an Instagram Story post. “My action was not intentional,” he said, via online translation.
“Like all goalkeepers and like in every match, I wanted to create space for myself in my zone. Unfortunately, this gave a bad image, especially among the young viewers who watch us.
“The club, the staff, and my teammates know what kind of person and what kind of captain I am. They know my intentions, and abandoning them is never one of them. As for the rest, we are used to the interpretations made by certain people and by certain media outlets.”
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Thursday’s match was one of highs and lows from a U.S. soccer perspective, with Adams enjoying a memorable victory for the Premier League minnows, while Yunus Musah played the full 90 minutes for Milan, as Christian Pulisic had to sit this one out on the bench.
Adams and Co.’s attention will now swiftly turn to Manchester United on Sunday, in what feels like a must-win game for embattled Red Devils boss Michael Carrick following their mid-week loss at Como in the Champions League.
Bournemouth head to Old Trafford 15th in the league, with their excellent European form yet to translate domestically with just six points from seven games thus far, while United aren’t far above them on seven points in 13th.
As for Musah and Pulisic, they’ll be hoping to bounce back as they prepare to travel to struggling Udinese on Sunday. Heading into the game, Milan sits fourth in the league table, with four wins and three draws so far under Amorim, who replaced Massimiliano Allegri this summer.