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PARMA, ITALY – MAY 10: Donyell Malen of AS Roma celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the Serie A match between Parma Calcio 1913 and AS Roma at Stadio Ennio Tardini on May 10, 2026 in Parma, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini refused to watch Donyell Malen taking a late penalty in an away 3-2 win at Parma, which eventually allowed the Giallorossi to catch Milan in fourth.
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The race for a Champions League in Serie A is very much alive, and Roma took a big step forward on Sunday, beating Parma 3-2 away, while Milan lost with the same result at home against Atalanta.
Giallorossi and Rossoneri are now level on points in fourth, with just two games remaining.
Roma scored twice in the stoppages against Parma, with the winning goal coming at minute 101 from a controversial Malen penalty kick.
Giallorossi coach Gasperini refused to watch the Dutchman’s attempt from the spot, but was already smiling before the ex-Aston Villa star scored a decisive goal in the race for the top four.
Video: Gasperini didn’t watch Malen’s penalty
Roma received the late spot kick for a Sascha Britschgi foul on Devyne Rensch.
The two players held each other inside the penalty area, bringing both of them down. After a pitchside VAR review, the referee awarded a penalty to the Giallorossi, sparking outrage from Parma.
“At Parma we try to be ourselves and to face people with respect,” said the Gialloblu coach Carlos Cuesta.
“But sometimes you have to understand why things happen. From 2-1 to 2-3, obvious things happened, and it is not just about the penalty area, it is the whole dynamic that leaves me feeling this way. They showed disrespect to us. There were events that conditioned the dynamics of the match too much. Against Napoli, I was the first to say it was not a penalty, but today there were many small things I did not like.”
ByLorenzo Bettoni
Lorenzo Bettoni is the Editor of Football Italia.
