Why Bastoni will not face retrospective punishment for diving in Inter 3-2 Juventus
Alessandro Bastoni has found himself at the centre of controversy after the Derby d’Italia on Saturday evening, but the Nerazzurri centre-back is not expected to be retrospectively punished for his dive that led to the sending off of Juventus’s Pierre Kalulu. Here’s why.
What happened with Bastoni and Kalulu in Inter 3-2 Juventus?
Inter claimed all three points in the Derby d’Italia on Saturday evening after an own-goal from Andrea Cambiaso and individual efforts from Pio Esposito and Piotr Zielinski. Cambiaso and Manuel Locatelli came up with the goals for the Bianconeri.
The game was not without its controversies, though. Juventus defender Kalulu was sent off in the 42nd minute for his second bookable offence.
Newspapers in Italy described Kalulu’s first yellow card as ‘excessive’ and the second as ‘non-existent’ and ‘absurd’. That is because Bastoni dived in an attempt to get his opponent sent off, which convinced referee Federico La Penna.
As this was a second yellow card and not a direct red, VAR was not able to intervene on the matter. Reports on Sunday suggest that this is a rule the IFAB will seek to change at the earliest possibility.
Refereeing designator Gianluca Rocchi has since admitted that La Penna made a mistake, and has apologised for the error.
To add insult to injury for Juventus, Bastoni was also carrying a booking at the time of Kalulu’s sending off, and had he been punished for simulation, it would have been the Nerazzurri down to 10 men instead of the Bianconeri.
What didn’t help the situation was the passionate celebration that Bastoni let out when La Penna brandished the yellow and red cards at Kalulu.
Why will Bastoni not face retrospective punishment?
Despite calls from some supporters, Bastoni is not expected to face further punishment for his dive.
That is because of a similar rule to the one that prevented VAR from intervening at the time of the incident: Authorities would have been able to review the incident with the use of TV footage had Bastoni’s dive led to a direct red card, but not for a second yellow.
As is explained in article 61 of the Code of Sports Justice (Codice di Giustizia Sportiva), the sports judge is able to review TV footage for incidents of unsportsmanlike behaviour in four different circumstances. They are as follows:
- Simulation leading to a penalty kick being awarded in favour of the team whose player dived.
- Simulation resulting in the direct sending off of an opposition player
- Scoring a goal by intentionally handling the ball
- Preventing a goal by intentionally handling the ball
As Kalulu was sent off for a second bookable offence and not a direct card, Bastoni’s act of unsportsmanlike behaviour does not fall under any of the above categories and will therefore not be brought to the sports judge for review.