'Christian Pulisic is a fair player' - Stefano Pioli leaps to Milan star's defence amid accusations of unsporting play

AC Milan coach Stefano Pioli defended Christian Pulisic as a “fair player” and dismissed suggestions of unsporting conduct after Friday’s ill-tempered win over Lazio.

The Rossoneri ran out 1-0 winners at the Stadio Olimpico thanks to Noah Okafor’s late goal, but the hosts were left infuriated by the officiating after having three players sent off and a penalty appeal turned down.

Luca Pellegrini was the first player to walk when he was shown a second yellow card midway through the second half in controversial circumstances.

The Lazio defender wanted to shepherd the ball out so his team-mate Taty Castellanos could receive treatment for a facial injury, but Pulisic tried to keep the ball alive and was subsequently hauled down by Pellegrini, who was sent off as a result.

The incident sparked questions from journalists after the game about whether Pulisic’s behaviour was unsporting, but Pioli denied the accusation.

“Pulisic is a fair player and he respected the game. You play until the referee blows the whistle,” Pioli said. “We could not do anything differently.

“It was a difficult game for the referee. He seemed to excessively punish half-fouls, football is a contact sport and a lot of yellow cards can be avoided.”

When it was put to him that Pulisic had behaved poorly, Pioli said: “I don’t agree. It was not an unsporting gesture. He respected the rules.”

When Pioli was then asked if he considered replacing Rafael Leao, he simply answered “no” before standing up and leaving the press conference.

Pioli’s patience ran out after he had previously offered his views on the incident to Italian broadcaster DAZN.

The Milan coach explained what his Lazio counterpart Maurizio Sarri, who didn’t speak to the media after the game, had said at the time.

“Sarri told me: ‘The ball was going out’. But the referee didn’t blow his whistle,” Pioli said.

“Pulisic is a fair player, he did what he did. I don’t see why we should kick the ball out, if that was what they wanted they should have done it themselves.”

The scrappy victory for Milan ended a three-game winless run and put them one point behind second-placed Juventus in the Serie A standings.

Juve face Napoli on Sunday, live on TNT Sports, with kick-off at 19.45 UK time.

The result left Lazio ninth in the standings and cut even further adrift in their bid to qualify for the UEFA Champions League next season.

Sarri’s side travel to Germany on Tuesday in that competition to face Bayern Munich in the second leg of their last 16 clash, live on TNT Sports, and hold a 1-0 lead from the first leg.

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