Italy star sparks political fury as ‘shameful’ act mars Serie A thriller
Former Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta has demanded Alessandro Bastoni be dropped from the national team following a controversial dive during Inter Milan’s dramatic 3-2 victory over Juventus.
Political outrage ensues
The Nerazzurri extended their lead at the Serie A summit to eight points after a chaotic encounter at the San Siro.
However, the result has been overshadowed by a moment of deception from the Italian international defender.
With the scores level in the first half, Bastoni threw himself to the ground to deceive referee Federico La Penna.
The simulation resulted in a second yellow card for Pierre Kalulu, reducing the visitors to 10 men for the remainder of the contest.
The incident triggered immediate condemnation across the peninsula, escalating to the highest levels of political discourse.
Enrico Letta, who led the country between 2013 and 2014, took to social media to call for severe sporting sanctions.
“Bastoni shouldn’t be called up to the national team.”
It represents a significant intervention given the centre-back’s crucial role for the Azzurri as they chase 2026 World Cup qualification.
Referee chief admits error
The fallout intensified after Serie A’s referee designator Gianluca Rocchi publicly apologized for the officiating blunder.
Rocchi confirmed that match official La Penna was “clearly wrong” to dismiss Kalulu based on the fabrication.
Speaking to Italian media, Rocchi admitted:
“We are very sorry about the incident.”
VAR protocols prevented intervention on the decision as it involved a yellow card offence rather than a straight red.
Chiellini slams ‘unacceptable’ officiating
Juventus director Giorgio Chiellini did not hold back in his assessment of the officiating standards.
The former defensive stalwart confronted officials in the tunnel alongside coach Luciano Spalletti.
“It’s hard to talk about football after what happened today.”
“Something unacceptable has happened again, and you can’t ruin a game of this importance.”
Chiellini argued that the structure of the league’s officiating requires immediate reform.
“This is a show that we are putting on for the world, we need to change something immediately… Decisions like the one made tonight cannot be taken lightly.”
Despite the controversy, the match provided end-to-end entertainment.
Piotr Zielinski eventually struck a 90th-minute winner for Cristian Chivu’s side after Manuel Locatelli had twice equalized for the Bianconeri.