Mike Maignan’s dismissal at Bournemouth has left Milan with an unwanted question at the start of another long season: how does a captain whose authority has so often protected the side prevent his most impulsive moments from becoming part of the plot?
The French goalkeeper was sent off before the half-hour mark at the Vitality Stadium after making contact with Tyler Adams’ face. Adams left the pitch with the mark of Maignan’s hands visible, while the Milan captain walked away with his head lowered and his hood up.
It was an incident that changed the course of the evening for Milan in England, and Maignan addressed it afterwards through social media. He said the action had not been deliberate, explaining that he had been trying to create room in his penalty area.
“Unfortunately, I gave a bad image of myself, especially to the young people watching us,” Maignan wrote. “The club knows the person and captain I am. Leaving my team-mates is not part of who I am.” He also criticised the interpretations made by some observers and media outlets.
A leader who occasionally crosses the line
Maignan is usually among Milan’s most vocal figures. He directs those in front of him, demands standards and carries the responsibilities of a senior player. Yet Bournemouth was not the first occasion when his competitive edge has tipped into an avoidable incident.
The red card was the third of his career, each arriving in very different circumstances. The first came in 2017 while he was with Lille, during a 3-0 defeat against Strasbourg. After an exchange with Benjamin Corgnet, Maignan deliberately kicked the ball at his opponent’s head. The referee was close enough to see it clearly and produced the red card.
Lille coach Marcelo Bielsa had already made all of his substitutions, leaving forward Nicolas De Preville to take over in goal. De Preville even made a notable save late in the match.
Maignan’s next dismissal came in Genoa-Milan three years ago. He rushed out to challenge Ekuban, who was through on goal, and caught him with a knee high around the throat area. The contact was not judged intentional, but it was dangerous enough to bring another sending-off.
Olivier Giroud then took the goalkeeper’s shirt for the closing minutes and helped Milan preserve both a clean sheet in that spell and the victory.
Warnings before Bournemouth
There have been other moments which did not produce a red card but still underlined the same risk. In the Italian Super Cup semi-final against Napoli a year ago, Maignan appeared fortunate to avoid dismissal after striking Matteo Politano in the face.
Politano had moved close to delay Maignan’s attempt to release the ball by hand, and the goalkeeper reacted during the tussle. The referee and VAR took no action, although the gesture was unnecessary. Maignan had already been frustrated after conceding twice, including a David Neres goal following an awkward save by the Milan goalkeeper.
In March 2025, Milan lost 2-1 at San Siro to Lazio amid a tense atmosphere around the club. Maignan conceded the decisive penalty, converted by Pedro in the 98th minute, before confronting referee Gianluca Manganiello in the tunnel. He received a one-match ban for using disrespectful language towards the official.
An unsettled summer, then a strong response
The months before the campaign had not been straightforward for Maignan. He was close to Claudio Filippi, Milan’s goalkeeper coach last season, whose departure was felt by the player. In mid-July, Maignan and Fofana removed posts from Instagram, while Maignan also deleted the Milan reference from his biography.
His absence from Franco Baresi’s funeral prompted further discussion, and coach Ruben Amorim granted him an additional day before his return from holiday. That followed a difficult World Cup, where Maignan conceded six goals against England in the third-place play-off.
On the pitch, however, he had begun the season in convincing form. Only four days before the Bournemouth episode, he had made a crucial late save from Zappacosta to help Milan. The contrast between that intervention and the red card was stark.
Amorim defended his goalkeeper by saying Maignan had been pushed in the incident involving Adams. At the same time, the coach made clear that players with Maignan’s experience must avoid such mistakes.
Milan will hope the Vitality Stadium episode remains an isolated failure of judgement rather than another recurring distraction for a captain whose performances can still be decisive for the club’s season.
