Serie A referee designator expresses regret following the contentious sending-off of Kalulu

Serie A referee designator Gianluca Rocchi stated that referee Federico La Penna was “clearly wrong” in issuing a second yellow card to Juventus defender Pierre Kalulu during Saturday’s loss against Inter Milan, and expressed his apologies regarding the incident.

Kalulu received a red card after Inter’s Alessandro Bastoni fell to the ground and promptly signaled to the referee for a card, suggesting that Kalulu had pulled his shirt to bring him down. Television footage indicated that there was no contact between the players.

Juventus, reduced to 10 players following a red card, fell to a 3-2 defeat, leaving Inter with an eight-point lead at the top of the league. “We deeply regret the incident, La Penna’s decision, which was evidently incorrect, and the inability of VAR to correct it,” Rocchi stated to the Italian news agency ANSA.

“La Penna is deeply embarrassed, and we stand by him, but I must be honest that he is not the only one who erred, as there was evident simulation yesterday.”

Kalulu gestured for VAR as he objected to his dismissal, yet the league’s regulations prohibit the application of VAR in cases involving yellow cards, including instances of second yellows that result in expulsions.

Luciano Spalletti, the coach of Juventus, along with director Giorgio Chiellini, later confronted La Penna in the tunnel.

“An entirely unacceptable incident occurred today; it is irrelevant whether it affects us or others. Starting tomorrow, VAR will likely need to undergo changes, as it is intolerable for so many mistakes to persist, especially in significant matches like this,” Chiellini stated to Sky Italia.