Serie A: Juventus Defeat and Referee Controversy
Juventus suffered a 3-2 defeat away at Inter in a dramatic Serie A encounter. Following the match, Serie A’s referee designator Gianluca Rocchi acknowledged an error made by match official Federico La Penna, who issued a second yellow card to Juventus defender Pierre Kalulu, resulting in his sending off.
Kalulu was dismissed after Inter’s Alessandro Bastoni fell to the ground and immediately appealed to the referee, signaling that Kalulu had grabbed his shirt to bring him down. However, television footage indicated there was no contact between the two players. Juventus, reduced to 10 men following the red card, ultimately lost the match, leaving Inter eight points clear at the top of the league.
“We are very sorry about the incident, about La Penna’s decision, which was clearly wrong, and about the fact that VAR could not be used to rectify it,” Rocchi told Italian news agency Ansa. “La Penna is mortified and we are close to him, but I have to tell you the truth that he is not the only one who made a mistake, because yesterday there was clear simulation.”
Kalulu protested his dismissal by making the VAR gesture, but according to league protocol, VAR cannot be used to review yellow card decisions, including second yellows that lead to sendings off.
After the match, Juventus coach Luciano Spalletti and director Giorgio Chiellini confronted referee La Penna in the tunnel. Chiellini expressed his dissatisfaction with the situation to Sky Italia.
“Something completely unacceptable happened today, it doesn’t matter whether it happens to us or someone else, and from tomorrow presumably VAR will have to change, because this is not acceptable that so many errors keep happening even in big games like this,” Chiellini said.
Upcoming Serie A Fixture
Later on Sunday, Napoli is set to host Roma in another Serie A match.
La Liga: Rayo Vallecano Defeat Atletico Madrid Amid Protests
In Spain, Rayo Vallecano secured a 3-0 victory over a weakened Atletico Madrid side in a La Liga match marked by protests against Rayo owner Raúl Martín Presa.
With Atletico focusing on their upcoming Champions League knockout playoff against Club Brugge, coach Diego Simeone fielded a weakened team. Rayo Vallecano capitalized on this, with Fran Pérez and Óscar Valentín scoring before halftime and Nobel Mendy adding a goal in the second half.
This win provides Rayo with some relief in their relegation battle. They currently sit one point above the relegation zone with 25 points, while Atletico remain fourth with 45 points, trailing league leaders Barcelona by 15 points.
The match was played at Leganés’ Butarque stadium, relocated due to Rayo’s home pitch at Vallecas being declared unplayable by La Liga. Despite a sparse crowd, fans vocally expressed their discontent with owner Raúl Martín Presa throughout the game.
La Liga postponed Rayo’s previous home match against Real Oviedo due to heavy rainfall and poor pitch conditions that hindered restoration efforts on recently replaced turf. With conditions failing to improve, the decision was made to move Sunday’s match, as Leganés were away at Córdoba.
Rayo Vallecano declined to comment on the pitch issues, stating they would only repost La Liga’s official statements on their website.
