Inter Milan defender Alessandro Bastoni has addressed the controversy surrounding his celebration of Juventus defender Pierre Kalulu's red card during Saturday's Derby d'Italia. The incident occurred late in the first half when referee Federico La Penna showed Kalulu a second yellow card after adjudging him to have pulled back Bastoni. Bastoni admitted to exaggerating the fall to win a foul but expressed regret for his subsequent celebration.

Kalulu reacted with disbelief to the decision, while Bastoni clenched his fists in apparent satisfaction. Juventus officials, including director of football strategy Giorgio Chiellini and CEO Damien Comolli, later criticized the referee's decision as "unacceptable" and "embarrassing." Bastoni broke his silence during a Tuesday news conference ahead of Inter's Champions League playoff against Bodø/Glimt, acknowledging that his reaction was inappropriate given the intensity of such a crucial match.

The Italy international revealed he received death threats following the incident, expressing particular concern for his wife and young daughter who don't understand the media scrutiny. Inter coach Christian Chivu urged moving past the controversy, noting that football has always involved contentious decisions and that his team had previously suffered an injustice in Naples without similar backlash. The victory extended Inter's lead at the top of Serie A to eight points, though AC Milan holds a game in hand.