Alessandro Bastoni has apologised for the way he celebrated Pierre Kalulu's red card during the "Derby d'Italia" between Inter and Juventus, revealing that he has also received death threats as a result and expressing sympathy for referee Federico La Penna: "I thank those who just called me 'fool' and stopped there."
Bastoni became the center of controversy for his role in sending off Kalulu in the 42nd minute of the "Derby d'Italia" in Serie A on Saturday night, a match that ended 3-2 for the Nerazzurri thanks to a 90th-minute goal from Piotr Zielinski.
Kalulu was sent off for two yellow cards, while Bastoni was accused of simulating a red card for his opponent.
Furthermore, he himself had a yellow card and would be sent off if he was punished for simulation.
The Italian defender was also criticized for the way he celebrated this moment, and there were even calls for him to be left out of the Italian national team.
Bastoni remained silent until Tuesday, when he appeared in a press conference alongside coach Cristian Chivu ahead of the Champions League play-off match against Bodo/Glimt. He apologized for the celebration, but not for the contact.
He compared the situation to the very easy penalty Liverpool won against Inter earlier this season in the Champions League.
"I felt contact with the arm, which was obvious when I saw it again. I am here to take responsibility. What I regret is my behavior afterwards. A person has the right to make mistakes, but also the obligation to admit the mistake," he said.
The defender added that he did not expect such a big reaction and criticized the hypocrisy in the reactions: "My career and character should not be defined by such an incident. I thank those who just called me 'fool' and stopped there."
He also revealed that his family has received death threats.
"I feel more sorry for my wife and daughter who have faced threats. I also feel sorry for Judge La Penna and for all those who are not used to such exposure."
Regarding the match against Bodo/Glimt, Bastoni said: "I'm very good mentally. I'm not physically or psychologically compromised, so I'm ready to play."/Express newspaper/
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