"The players throw themselves in to steal" - Gasperini hits out at 'crazy' football rules

Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini said after the 2-1 loss to Brugge in the first leg of the Champions League play-off, which was decided by a last-minute penalty, that football “is a different sport to what it has been for centuries” and that it no longer knows the rules. Hien's light contact with his arm in Nelsson's face in stoppage time condemned Atalanta in Belgium. The referee pointed out a more than controversial penalty that provoked the anger of the 'Dea's coach.
“Everyone has a completely different idea of fouls. Hands create controversy, but sometimes they are really difficult to assess. The real drama is the contact. The players throw themselves in to steal, they all try to get a penalty. This is not spirit of football. The rules are crazy,” he told ‘Sky Sport Italia’ after the match. Gasperini also took a harsh swipe at the refereeing establishment's leadership.
“The current management I don't know who runs it, certainly a few, but it has nothing to do with football. I don't know the rules anymore. You all have to agree, even the TV stations, because, then, you get angry with these things. Maybe there is even someone who says that Hien gave away a penalty,” he said. “At this point, referees are completely out of touch with everything, even with what the players say. This is a completely different sport than it has been for centuries,” he added.
The Atalanta coach ended with an ironic phrase after the big controversy of the day in Serie A, with up to 4 matches in which there were serious errors by the referees: “Obviously, Italian refereeing decisions infect football in general”.