Alessandro Bastoni apologized for celebrating when Pierre Kalulu received a controversial red card during Inter’s 3-2 Serie A win over Juventus on Saturday.
Juventus had to play the entire second half of the match with 10 men and were only defeated as injury time approached, when Piotr Zielinski finished from the edge of the area.
That was after referee Federico La Penna showed Kalulu his second yellow card in the 42nd minute, for pushing Bastoni back to prevent an Inter counterattack.
However, Bastoni’s fall was theatrical and many believed that the Italian could have been booked for simulation, which would have resulted in Inter falling to 10, as he himself was booked.
Bastoni caused further stir by waving an imaginary yellow card at La Penna (normally another bookable offense in itself) and then celebrating wildly when Kalulu was sent off.
Ahead of the Champions League play-off match between Inter and Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt, Bastoni admitted he had made mistakes while speaking to Sky Sport Italia.
“I wanted to come here because a lot more things have 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 emphasized when I looked at it again. “I’m here to take responsibility.
“What I regret is my subsequent behavior. A human being has the right to make mistakes but also the duty to recognize them. That is why I am here.”
Damien Comolli and Giorgio Chiellini’s comments after #InterJuve
https://t.co/I0YQCyjoIf pic.twitter.com/v7LqUjh7Ep
—JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) February 14, 2026
Bastoni later appeared at Inter’s pre-match press conference and said: “My career and my character should not be defined by an incident like this. I didn’t think it would cause such a stir.
“I noticed a lot of hypocrisy. I heard people inside say things that should not be said in heaven or on Earth. I am grateful to those who simply called me ‘stupid’ and left it at that.”
Bastoni went on to reveal that his wife had received death threats following the incident, although he said the media storm that followed the incident had not affected him personally.
“It didn’t affect me much. We are exposed as players,” Bastoni said. “We are used to this type of media attacks. I can handle the situation.
“I feel more sorry for my wife and my daughter, who have been threatened with death. I also feel sorry for the referee, La Penna, for the people who are less used to being exposed in that way.”
