Juventus expresses anger over ‘unacceptable’ officiating decision in defeat to Inter
Officials from Juventus voiced their outrage at what they termed an “unacceptable” and “embarrassing” decision to dismiss defender Pierre Kalulu during Saturday’s intense defeat to rivals Inter Milan.
Kalulu received a second yellow card just before halftime after referee Federico La Penna determined that the France international had impeded Alessandro Bastoni.
Kalulu responded with disbelief as the referee issued the yellow followed by the red card and seemed to indicate for the decision to be reviewed by the video assistant referee. However, yellow cards, even when they lead to a red, are not subject to VAR review.
Videos circulated on social media depicted Juventus’ director of football strategy Giorgio Chiellini and CEO Damien Comolli angrily confronting La Penna in the tunnel during halftime, and they continued to voice their frustration after Inter’s 3-2 victory.
“It’s difficult to discuss football after what transpired today,” Chiellini stated. “An unacceptable incident has occurred once more, and you cannot undermine a match of this significance.
“This is a spectacle we are presenting to the world; we must implement changes immediately, without delay, as is often the case in Italian football. Since the start of the year, we have been asserting that there is no proper structure for the league. We cannot proceed in this manner. Decisions like the one made tonight cannot be taken lightly.”
Before the red card, Juventus had equalized after Andrea Cambiaso’s own goal had initially given Inter the lead.
However, Inter regained their advantage in the 76th minute when forward Pio Esposito scored with a powerful header from Federico Dimarco’s left-wing cross.
Although Manuel Locatelli equalized from a Weston McKennie cross in the 83rd minute, seemingly securing an unlikely point for Juventus with ten players, Piotr Zielinski’s strike in the 90th minute clinched victory for Inter in the Derby d’Italia.
This outcome could have significant consequences for both teams this season. The win placed Inter eight points ahead at the top of Serie A, although they have played one more match than their closest competitors AC Milan and Napoli.
Juventus, on the other hand, now trails the leaders by 15 points and, currently in fourth place, faces a challenge to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
“What occurred today is embarrassing,” Comolli remarked. “It is something that has been witnessed globally. It cannot happen again, and tonight’s incident is just the latest in a series of issues this season.
“It is difficult to accept injustices like this. We cannot discuss football today. The coach and the players are extremely frustrated after what happened tonight. It is entirely unacceptable. We lost three points, but Italian football has lost much more.
“This message is primarily for our supporters. At Juventus, we stand united in the fight against injustice, and we will not relent.”
