Alessandro Bastoni Apology For Celebrating Kalulu Red Card Incident During Inter Juve Match

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Alessandro Bastoni apologised for behaviour during Inter’s 3-2 Serie A victory over Juventus, after Pierre Kalulu’s controversial dismissal and the hostile reaction that followed, which included death threats aimed at Bastoni’s family, while also insisting that the incident, and the response around it, should not define either Bastoni’s career or personal character.

The Inter defender’s actions came under heavy criticism after Kalulu received a second yellow card from referee Federico La Penna in the 42nd minute for pulling Bastoni back, leaving Juventus with 10 players for the entire second half before Piotr Zielinski struck a late stoppage-time winner from the edge of the penalty area.

Replays showed Bastoni going down in dramatic fashion during the counter-attack, and some observers argued that Bastoni exaggerated the contact and could have been cautioned for simulation while already on a yellow card, which would have reduced Inter to 10 players as well, further increasing the sense of injustice among Juventus supporters.

The situation escalated when Bastoni waved an imaginary yellow card towards La Penna, an act often punished with a booking, and then celebrated energetically once Kalulu was sent off, which many Juventus figures and neutral viewers saw as excessive gamesmanship, prompting debate across Italian media and on social platforms following the match.

Speaking to Sky Sport Italia on the eve of Inter’s Champions League play-off against Bodo/Glimt, Bastoni addressed the controversy directly and accepted personal responsibility, explaining that several days were needed to review the footage and consider events calmly before deciding to speak publicly and clarify Bastoni’s perspective on the incident.

Bastoni said: "I wanted to come here because a lot more has happened than I would have thought or imagined after Saturday. I waited a few days to review what happened," Bastoni said. "What I felt was contact with my arm, which was emphasised when I watched it back. I'm here to take responsibility. What I regret is my subsequent behaviour. A human being has the right to make mistakes but equally the duty to recognise them. That's why I'm here."

Inter’s official build-up to the Bodo/Glimt tie also included wider reaction to the match, with Juventus figures and other officials commenting on the decisions and overall refereeing performance.

Alessandro Bastoni Inter Juventus reaction and media fallout

Later, during Inter’s official pre-match press conference, Bastoni stressed that a single flashpoint should not overshadow years of work at the top level, while also criticising what Bastoni described as an excessive response from some commentators within football, who in Bastoni’s view went well beyond reasonable analysis of the episode.

Bastoni said: "My career and character shouldn't be defined by an incident like this. I didn't think I would create so much of an uproar. I noticed a lot of hypocrisy. I heard insiders say things that shouldn't be said in heaven or on Earth. I thank those who just called me 'stupid' and left it at that."

The defender then revealed that the discussion had turned darker away from the pitch, saying that Bastoni’s wife and young daughter had become targets of anonymous threats, while Bastoni personally felt better equipped to handle intense criticism due to long-term exposure to public scrutiny as a professional footballer.

Bastoni said: "It didn't affect me that much. We're exposed as players," Bastoni said. "We're accustomed to this type of media pile-on. I'm able to handle the situation. I'm more sorry for my wife and daughter who have found themselves on the receiving end of death threats. I also feel sorry for the referee, La Penna, for people who are less used to being exposed like that."

The episode left Bastoni acknowledging fault over conduct during Inter’s win against Juventus while also drawing attention to the scale of the reaction, as the focus moved from a key Serie A contest and a disputed red card decision towards questions about behaviour on and off the field, ahead of Inter’s Champions League play-off with Bodo/Glimt.