The debate surrounding the refereeing in the recent Inter–Juventus clash continues, with former defender Lele Adani sharing his thoughts on the incident that led to Pierre Kalulu’s dismissal and Alessandro Bastoni’s controversial reaction. Speaking on Viva El Futbol, the show he hosts alongside Nicola Ventola and Antonio Cassano, Adani analysed both the match and the key episode that shaped it.
Adani criticised Bastoni’s conduct and reflected on how modern football’s rules fail to sanction certain long-standing behaviours on the pitch.
“A Credible Juventus”
“The feeling on the pitch was that Juventus were playing a great game, and they continued to do so even with ten men,” Adani said. “It’s true that Inter inevitably created more chances, but Juventus were genuinely credible.”
“Spalletti’s Is the Best Team in Serie A”
“I will go as far as to say that Spalletti’s team is, at this moment, the best side in Serie A when I put everything together,” he continued. “Inter felt the weight of their opponent; they sensed that Juventus were superior. On the footballing side, Inter won, but I renew my faith and positivity in Spalletti’s work.”
“Bastoni Made Four Mistakes”
“The facts are these: Bastoni did four things that were wrong – the dive, the request for a booking, the celebration, and signalling for a shirt pull. He made four mistakes, all unsporting. Then you can analyse the rest of what happened.”
“Simulation Is an Injustice of the Game”
“Diving has existed since the dawn of football – it’s an unfair deception that every player has done at least once in their life,” Adani explained. “It’s an unjust act that, sadly, in modern football is no longer penalised, and it’s one of the game’s real evils. But it’s part of football.”
“Two Things Far More Serious”
“What happened outside of play is different,” he added. “The call for a booking and the celebration after the second yellow card – those are much more serious things. Simulation has always existed in the game, but behaviour like that crosses another line.”
“What I’ve Read Online…”
“I wasn’t impressed at all by Bastoni’s celebration,” Adani concluded. “But what I’ve read about him from commentators, politicians, reporters, institutions, and former players… well, I’ll speak less about social media, because 95% of people there wish you dead and then ask for a selfie if they meet you in person.”
