What Mike Maignan did last night in Bournemouth is unspeakable for the man who wears the AC Milan captain’s armband.

As MilanNews write, Maignan’s red card for shoving Tyler Adams leaves no room for interpretation. If there’s one thing referees won’t tolerate, especially at international level, it’s deliberate blows to the face, regardless of their severity.

Yet Maignan took the bait, causing significant damage to the team. He will also likely miss the next two games, when Milan face Ferencvaros at home and Olympiacos in Athens, if UEFA sanctions him with a two-match ban.

Not the actions of a captain

After such a gesture, and out of respect for the club, his team-mates, and the fans who came to Bournemouth, Maignan should have done something very simple: speak to the media and take responsibility. Instead, he didn’t.

Journalists and fans haven’t heard his voice in a post-match since January 26th, and this isn’t because Milan’s communications department wanted it, but because Maignan – in the face of public responsibility – prefers silence.

He remained silent after the Milan-Cagliari disaster, which marked failure to qualify for the Champions League, and he has remained silent even on other occasions when the words of a leader would be needed.

Instagram posts with songs or biblical quotes are not enough, because the damage here is severe. Many criticized Bremer’s words after Juventus-Lazio, but that’s a captain taking responsibility. Those who do things like him or like Rabiot after Milan-Atalanta should be applauded, not criticised.

Some might try to justify his silence with the classic: “Well, that’s just the way he is.” However, it doesn’t feel like enough. At Milanello today there will likely be a discussion between Maignan and Amorim, where the French goalkeeper will, at the very least, have to apologise to the coach and team.

Maignan has now published a social media story: “My gesture was unintentional. Like all goalkeepers and in every match, I wanted to create space for myself. Unfortunately, this gave a bad image, especially to the young spectators who watch us.

“The club, the staff, and my teammates know what kind of person and what kind of captain I am. They know my intentions, and giving up is never part of it. For the rest, we are accustomed to the interpretations given by some people and certain media.”