West Ham legend Paolo Di Canio has strongly criticised AC Milan stars Theo Hernandez and Rafael Leao for their behaviour during the 2-2 draw against Lazio, Soccernet.football reports.
The controversial incident occurred during the second half, following Leao’s strike to level the scores.
As the team gathered near their coaches for a cooling break and team-talk, Hernandez and Leao were spotted isolated on the opposite side of the field, sparking widespread backlash from fans and pundits alike.
Di Canio, speaking on Sky Calcio Club via FootballItalia alongside Fabio Capello, did not hold back in his assessment of the two Milan players.
“I hear people say that they are just kids and that’s how it goes, [but they are] worth 8 million, to Milan,” Di Canio began.
He added, “If something like this happens after work, even with my friends messing around and playing, if someone sits there on the side with his belly hanging out, I tell them: ‘hey, what are you doing? Come and help us’. It’s a disgrace.”
The former Juventus and Napoli star went on to emphasise the negative impact of their conduct on the team’s morale.
“The captain starts piping up as if to say ‘oh look at this’. It delegitimizes the situation. The coach, the teammates who were put down by that attitude, in my day, would have been pinned up against the wall and punched. It’s a disgrace,” Di Canio declared.
The match, which ended in a 2-2 draw, saw Milan take an early lead through Strahinja Pavlovic, only to be pegged back by Lazio’s quickfire double from Valentin Castellanos and Boulaye Dia.
A late goal from Leao salvaged a point for Milan, but the result means new boss Paulo Fonseca remains winless in Serie A, having drawn two of his first three matches in charge.
With just two points from their opening three games, AC Milan’s slow start under Fonseca is already causing concern.
If Milan hope to challenge for the Serie A title this season, immediate improvements will be crucial, especially as they have not experienced such a sluggish start since the 2011-12 season.