Milan’s Giroud Sent off after Forgetting First Yellow in Win over Spezia

05 November 2022, Italy, Milan: AC Milan's Olivier Giroud (2nd L) scores his side's second goal during the Italian Serie A match between AC Milan and Spezia Calcio at Giuseppe Meazza. (dpa)
05 November 2022, Italy, Milan: AC Milan's Olivier Giroud (2nd L) scores his side's second goal during the Italian Serie A match between AC Milan and Spezia Calcio at Giuseppe Meazza. (dpa)
TT

Milan’s Giroud Sent off after Forgetting First Yellow in Win over Spezia

05 November 2022, Italy, Milan: AC Milan's Olivier Giroud (2nd L) scores his side's second goal during the Italian Serie A match between AC Milan and Spezia Calcio at Giuseppe Meazza. (dpa)
05 November 2022, Italy, Milan: AC Milan's Olivier Giroud (2nd L) scores his side's second goal during the Italian Serie A match between AC Milan and Spezia Calcio at Giuseppe Meazza. (dpa)

AC Milan forward Olivier Giroud said he had forgotten about his earlier yellow card when he took off his shirt to celebrate scoring a late goal in Saturday's hard-fought 2-1 victory over Spezia in Serie A and was dismissed.

Milan took advantage of Atalanta's stumble in their 2-1 home defeat by league leaders Napoli earlier on Saturday as the champions moved up to second place on 29 points after 13 games by beating relegation-threatened Spezia.

"The important thing is to have three more points in the table, but I'm very angry because I forgot about my first yellow card," Milan's France striker Giroud told Sky Sport.

"The adrenaline and happiness for giving the win to the team played a role, after a tough game. In my head I am still a kid, but I have great faith in my team."

Milan boss Stefano Pioli said he understood that Giroud lost control after scoring the goal which earned the win.

"The fact that we believe in (a victory) so much made us rejoice a lot and you lose control, it means he will sit out Tuesday's game," Pioli told MilanTV.

Milan, who trail leaders Napoli by six points, travel to second-bottom Cremonese on Tuesday.



FIFA Suspends Argentina Goalkeeper for 2 Matches in World Cup Qualifying

Argentina's goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez holds a ball while warming up prior to a qualifying soccer match against Colombia for the FIFA World Cup 2026 at the Metropolitano Roberto Melendez stadium in Barranquilla, Colombia, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Argentina's goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez holds a ball while warming up prior to a qualifying soccer match against Colombia for the FIFA World Cup 2026 at the Metropolitano Roberto Melendez stadium in Barranquilla, Colombia, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
TT

FIFA Suspends Argentina Goalkeeper for 2 Matches in World Cup Qualifying

Argentina's goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez holds a ball while warming up prior to a qualifying soccer match against Colombia for the FIFA World Cup 2026 at the Metropolitano Roberto Melendez stadium in Barranquilla, Colombia, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Argentina's goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez holds a ball while warming up prior to a qualifying soccer match against Colombia for the FIFA World Cup 2026 at the Metropolitano Roberto Melendez stadium in Barranquilla, Colombia, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

Argentina's soccer association (AFA) said on Friday that FIFA suspended goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez for two matches of South American World Cup qualifying in October.
The decision rules out the 32-year-old from official games in the round-robin competition against Venezuela and Bolivia on Oct. 10 and 15.
AFA said in a statement that FIFA's disciplinary commission sanctioned Martínez due to incidents in two World Cup qualifying matches against Chile and Colombia earlier this month. The soccer body did not describe which incidents led to the punishment, The Associated Press reported.
Martínez made an obscene gesture after his team's 3-0 win against Chile by holding the Copa America trophy close to his genitals, as he did after the South American team lifted the World Cup title in Qatar in the end of 2022.
Later, he slapped a local cameraman after Argentina's 2-1 defeat against Colombia in Barranquilla.
Argentina's soccer body said it “absolutely disagrees” with FIFA's decision.
Argentina leads South American World Cup qualifying with 18 points after eight games, followed by Colombia (16) and Uruguay (15).