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AC Milan coach Paulo Fonseca expressed his confusion over Christian Pulisic not stepping up for his side’s penalties in Sunday’s 2-1 defeat at Fiorentina despite being the team’s designated penalty taker.
The Rossoneri had two spot-kicks awarded during the encounter in Florence and to Fonseca’s surprise, Pulisic’s teammates Theo Hernández and Tammy Abraham stepped up and took them.
Both penalties were saved by new Fiorentina goalkeeper David de Gea.
“Our designated penalty taker is Pulisic,” an angry Fonseca said.
“I don’t know why the players changed their minds. I have spoken to them and told them that this can’t happen again.”
In-form Pulisic did score Milan’s equaliser on the hour mark after they had gone behind in the 35th minute.
It was his sixth goal of the season. With his team trailing 2-1, the United States forward was replaced in the 81st minute by Samuel Chukwueze.
“Pulisic had a flexor problem during the week,” Fonseca said. “We managed it and in any case Chukwueze created opportunities.”
Fonseca was also unimpressed by the refereeing, with three penalties awarded in the game.
“I don’t like talking about refereeing, but this isn’t football,” Fonseca said.
“Football is made up of contact and one touch cannot be enough to give a penalty. This is football not the circus. And I’m not just talking about the penalty against us but also the ones we got.”
However, Fonseca made no excuses for his team’s defeat.
“When we miss two penalties and concede a goal like the last one, it becomes difficult to win despite creating a lot,” he said.
The result ended Milan’s three-game winning streak in Serie A and left them sixth in the standings, five points behind leaders Napoli heading into the international break.