Sebastiano Rossi's 'Necktie' Incident Marked Beginning of the End at Milan
A controversial on-field incident involving AC Milan goalkeeper Sebastiano Rossi in 1999 accelerated the end of his storied career with the club, according to a retrospective report. The event occurred on 17 January 1999 during a Serie A match against Perugia at San Siro, culminating in a five-match suspension for the veteran shot-stopper and a significant rupture in his relationship with then-manager Alberto Zaccheroni.
The flashpoint came in stoppage time after a hotly disputed penalty, converted by Perugia's Hidetoshi Nakata, sealed a 2-1 win for the visitors. In the immediate aftermath of the goal, an enraged Rossi confronted Perugia striker Cristian Bucchi as he attempted to retrieve the ball from the net. Rossi threw his arm around Bucchi's neck in a move later described in Italian media as a "cravatta al collo" or "necktie," dragging the forward to the ground and sparking a mass confrontation.
The reaction from the club hierarchy was severe. Rossi received a five-match ban from the sporting judiciary for the violent conduct. More damagingly, according to the report, manager Zaccheroni reproached the goalkeeper for his lack of remorse over the incident, creating a lasting rift. This disciplinary and personal fallout is cited as the beginning of the end for Rossi's tenure as Milan's undisputed number one.
Rossi, then 35, was a legendary figure at Milan, having been a cornerstone of the team's success throughout the 1990s. He held the Serie A record for longest consecutive minutes without conceding a goal—a staggering 929 minutes set during the 1993-94 season—a record that stood for over two decades. His composure and reliability were hallmarks of his game, making the loss of control against Perugia particularly out of character and shocking.
The incident and its aftermath precipitated a swift decline. Rossi lost his starting place to Christian Abbiati the following season and made his final appearance for the club in May 2000. After 12 years and over 300 appearances for Milan, he was released on a free transfer, joining Perugia of all clubs, before retiring in 2002 after a brief spell with Serie B's Monza. The 'necktie' episode serves as a stark reminder of how a single moment of frustration can irrevocably alter a player's standing, even for a previously unflappable and decorated veteran at the peak of his career.
