Inter Milan has announced a total media blackout following a contentious 1-1 draw against Atalanta on March 14, 2026. The club's management is protesting a denied penalty for Davide Frattesi, an incident later acknowledged as an error by refereeing officials. The result leaves the Scudetto race wide open, allowing AC Milan to close the gap at the top of the Serie A table while head coach Cristian Chivu faces a suspension after being sent off during the match.
Silenzio Stampa Declared
Inter Milan management refused all media interactions to protest officiating decisions during the Atalanta match.
Referee Error Acknowledged
Reports from Corriere della Sera indicate refereeing leadership admitted a penalty should have been awarded for a foul on Davide Frattesi.
Official Consequences
Referee Gianluca Manganiello is expected to be sidelined until after the international break following his performance.
Inter Milan drew 1-1 with Atalanta on March 14, 2026, in a Serie A match that sparked immediate controversy over a denied penalty and culminated in the club entering a formal press silence. The result kept the Scudetto race open, with AC Milan positioned to close the gap on the leaders. Inter coach Cristian Chivu was sent off during the game, adding to the turbulence surrounding the club. The draw was widely reported as a result Inter felt they should have won, with the denied penalty on Davide Frattesi identified as the central grievance. Refereeing officials subsequently acknowledged the error, according to Corriere della Sera.
The main flashpoint of the match was a foul on Davide Frattesi for which no penalty was awarded by referee Gianluca Manganiello. According to Corriere della Sera, the vertici arbitrali — the senior refereeing officials — admitted after the match that the incident should have resulted in a penalty. Manganiello will not return to officiating duties until after the international break, according to the same report. Chivu, who was sent off during the game, addressed the result before the full extent of the controversy became clear. „One lost match changes nothing” (One lost match changes nothing) — Cristian Chivu via ANSA Il Giornale noted that Inter's current press silence echoes a previous one that followed a 2-2 draw with Lazio, after which the club went on to lose the Scudetto title that season.
Inter Milan have won the Serie A title on 20 occasions, according to the club's Wikipedia entry. The Scudetto race is a recurring feature of Italian football's final months, with title outcomes frequently shaped by dropped points in matches against direct rivals or top-half clubs such as Atalanta. Press silences, known in Italian as silenzio stampa, have been used by Italian football clubs as a form of protest against refereeing decisions or media coverage on previous occasions, including by Inter themselves.
Inter entered the silenzio stampa following the match, according to ANSA, reflecting the depth of frustration within the club after the draw. Il Messaggero reported that the club's anger centered on the refereeing performance and the denied penalty in particular. The result left the Serie A title race unresolved, with Corriere della Sera noting that AC Milan stood to benefit from Inter's failure to take three points. SRF News described Inter as having squandered a win against Atalanta late in the match. With the international break approaching, the next round of domestic fixtures will determine whether the gap between the leading clubs narrows further.