Giorgio Chiellini slams Pierre Kalulu sending off against Inter: “Unacceptable”

Juventus director of football strategy Giorgio Chiellini has expressed his fury following the controversial red card shown to Pierre Kalulu during the derby against Inter.

The match at San Siro was a chaotic 3-2 victory for Inter that extended their lead at the top of the table. Andrea Cambiaso scored at both ends in the first half, first turning the ball into his own net before equalizing for Juventus.

However, the game changed when Pierre Kalulu was shown a second yellow card just before halftime for a challenge on Alessandro Bastoni—a decision that replays suggested was a mistake as there appeared to be no contact. Despite being down to ten men, Juventus fought back through a Manuel Locatelli strike after Francesco Pio Esposito had put Inter ahead, only for Piotr Zielinski to net a 90th-minute winner.

Speaking to DAZN, Chiellini was clear about his frustration regarding the officiating. He stated – via TuttoJuve: “We’re not the only ones who realized it. What happened tonight is unacceptable. We’re having a hard time talking about football. That’s why we’re here, not Luciano, because we’re united—the owners, the management, the coach, the players, and I think all the fans, too—to say that what happened today is unacceptable.”

The Juventus executive believes the refereeing choice damaged the quality of the match for everyone watching. He added: “This is the spectacle Italian football should offer, the most important match ruined in a truly hasty and inappropriate way by a decision like this. It’s yet another in a series that obviously doesn’t involve us alone, but we’re here talking every week.

“There’s a protocol that’s not right, because it’s unacceptable that this mistake can’t be changed in the rules, but there were four of us on the pitch who had to find a way to avoid doing something like this. It’s the system that doesn’t work, that’s clear. We’ve tried to be proactive since the start of the season to try to change it. We’ve reached a point of no return, and I think that’s clear, seen and said by everyone.”