In Italy absolutely no one has doubts: Tobias Stieler's arbitration was a disaster. Freuler's red card received criticism on all sets and in all the media. There was talk of an “indecent” referee, of “shame” and, in addition, Atalanta was praised for having endured Madrid with one less throughout the game.
'La Gazzetta dello Sport', on its cover, defined the expulsion of Freuler “non-existent” and “a gift to Real Madrid”: “The referee conditioned the game by transforming a yellow into red on 18 '”. The possible simulation of Casemiro in 82 'was also highlighted, when “Pasalic barely touched him”, but Stieler “thought twice before showing him the second yellow.”
The 'Corriere dello Sport' used for its first page a colloquial expression, “Cornuti e mazziati”, cuckolds and stuck, which is used to denounce unjust and double damage. The newspaper added to the list of arbitration errors “the penalties denied to Juventus and Lazio“, and its director, Ivan Zazzaroni, wrote in his editorial:” UEFA, we are capable of eliminating them alone. “
Several, in Italy, they spoke of UEFA's “lack of respect” towards Serie A teams, underlining the maximum penalty denied to Cristiano in the last play of Porto-Juve and the other to Milinkovic-Savic during Lazio-Bayern (with 0-1 on the scoreboard), which according to coach Inzaghi “could change history”.
'Tuttosport', for his part, spoke directly of “robbery of the Dea”, with a “heroic Atalanta” and a “disastrous referee”. For the Turin milieu, it was “a scandal” to kick Freuler out instead of admonishing him. There is confidence, anyway, for the second leg. Atalanta can still believe in qualifying against this Madrid, “especially if they can play 11 against 11.”