GdS: Gabbia demonstrates ‘veteran’ trait in Leao shirt incident – what happened

Rafael Leao was about to get a yellow card for his celebration after his winning penalty, until Matteo Gabbia stepped in.

As La Gazzetta dello Sport write, Leao usually celebrates by surfing on an imaginary board. On Sunday night though he had too much adrenaline to celebrate with a static pose. He needed to let off steam, after a goal that led to three huge points and ended his 513-day home league goal drought.

It was his first Serie A goal at San Siro since 25 May 2024, Stefano Pioli’s last match as Milan boss. The Portuguese’s last few weeks have been tough too, including criticism for the chances missed against Juventus – including from his coach – so it was very much a feeling of liberation.

Gabbia’s intervention

After scoring the penalty that Santiago Gimenez won, Leao ran under the Curva Sud and began to take off his shirt. That means a guaranteed yellow card usually, but at that moment, he was rescued by chance and the foresight of a team-mate.

The coincidence is that modern shirts, under which a sort of GPS bib is placed that stores the player’s biometrics, aren’t always the easiest to remove. Leao, in fact, managed to lift half of it and then got a bit tangled up.

😂 Gabbia stopped Leao taking his shirt off after the winning goal so he wouldn’t get a yellow 🚫 pic.twitter.com/iljdvG0Qx7

— SempreMilan (@SempreMilanCom) October 19, 2025

These seconds were crucial, because the ‘veteran’ Gabbia was able to intervene, someone who isn’t old but is certainly wise. His team-mate hugged him tightly and held down his yellow shirt just long enough to allow Rafa to continue celebrating, then being engulfed by a collective embrace.

He escaped a caution, and we know how unwarranted yellows infuriate coaches. Meanwhile, Gabbia confirms himself as a key, silent but nevertheless significant pillar of the dressing room. Leao will have to repay his debt.