Biancone celebrates Anderlecht win but lashes out at referee after penalty
Giulian Biancone celebrated Anderlecht’s 3-2 qualification triumph over PAOK but criticised referee Simone Sozza after receiving a yellow card following a Greek penalty, saying the official had “targeted him from the start”. The defender’s comments came in the immediate aftermath of the match.
The closing minutes were chaotic, with the Grieken receiving nine cautions and Biancone added to that tally after the penalty dispute. Anderlecht’s win was described as “no advertisement for football”. Foto: © photonews NIEUW Ontvang meldingen bij belangrijk nieuws! Schrijf je HIER in! Volg Voetbalkrant nu ook via Google!
Anderlecht beats PAOK 3-2
At the start of the season it is always pleasant to meet a player who instantly proves to be an excellent conversationalist, and Giulian Biancone fits that description without doubt. The Frenchman’s composure earned him praise, and Ook Biancone was highlighted as a key figure in the victory. He later admitted that such moments are “not my habit” when reflecting on his performance.
Following the qualification, Biancone gave an extensive interview to the press, during which referee Simone Sozza was brought up. Reporters asked him to explain the incident that erupted after the penalty, when a scuffle broke out in front of goalkeeper Colin Coosemans.
Biancone slams referee decision
“I will be very clear. There are rules in football that we discuss with UEFA in the summer, and one simple rule is that after a goal the ball belongs to the team that has just conceded a goal,” Biancone said, sounding visibly irritated.
He continued, “I took the ball after the goal because it was my ball. They got angry and pushed us… and then the referee gave me a yellow card while I was only following the rules.”
Biancone made it clear he has no intention of booking a holiday with the Italian referee Sozza. “He seemed to have it on me from the beginning of the match, and today he also had it on us, judging by his performance,” he added.
“I will not say more, but I have had conversations with him that were incomprehensible and sometimes went very far. I absolutely did not enjoy spending ninety minutes on the field with him,” Biancone concluded, underscoring his frustration.