Alessandro Del Piero made no attempt to hide his frustration. The former Juventus captain, speaking in Sky Sport’s studios after Inter’s controversial 3–2 win over the Bianconeri, had initially kept a restrained and balanced tone when discussing the disputed incident between Alessandro Bastoni and Pierre Kalulu that led to the latter’s sending-off late in the first half.
However, Del Piero’s patience appeared to wear thin after hearing Inter coach Cristian Chivu’s post-match comments, which he found disappointing. With his trademark calm but firm delivery, the Juventus legend did not hold back.
“I think Chivu is doing an excellent job and has given new life to a strong Inter side that maybe is a little advanced in age,” Del Piero began. “But tonight, in my opinion, he made a mistake in his comment about the red card. I expected something different in the way he interpreted what happened, also because Inter don’t need this. When you are strong, you want to win cleanly, and when an incident goes clearly in your favour by mistake, you’re not happy about it. I hope that in a couple of days Chivu can say—or at least think—that what happened on the pitch was not a sending-off offence, and that Bastoni’s fall wasn’t necessary. Maybe tomorrow he’ll understand.”
Chivu had defended the referee’s decision after the match, saying: “For me, it’s a light touch, but it’s still a touch. I’ve always taught my players not to put the referee in a position to decide—I told Bastoni the same after the Liverpool game. You have to recognise that there was contact, even if it was light. But a player like Kalulu should keep his hands to himself. If I were already on a yellow, I’d never stretch out my arm.”
Del Piero’s remarks weren’t solely directed at Chivu. He also took aim at referee Federico La Penna, though in measured terms, urging officials to act with more composure and calling for urgent reform of VAR protocols.
“In this case, VAR couldn’t intervene, which is already absurd. Luckily, that rule is going to change. But even now, it’s hard to explain and make people understand this situation. VAR can’t intervene because of a poorly made regulation, so referees need to take their time before deciding,” Del Piero explained. “Instead, they pull out the yellow card from twenty metres away and run towards the player as if delivering an exemplary punishment. Take a bit of time, consult for a moment, look again. Because the whole point of VAR and the referee is to make the right decision. Today, though, an unjust decision determined the outcome of a match.”
