Still reeling from the drama of the 3-2 loss to Inter Milan, Juventus coach Luciano Spalletti has criticized Inter head coach Cristian Chivu for his comments on Pierre Kalulu.
Spalletti was not pleased with Chivu’s decision to criticize Kalulu, saying, “I don’t want to speak over the words of Elkann and the directors. I can say that Pierre is a good guy, a decent person, and the fact that he had to take a dig from an opposition coach is something I never expected.”
Damien Comolli and Giorgio Chiellini’s comments after #InterJuve ⤵️
📰 https://t.co/I0YQCyjoIf pic.twitter.com/v7LqUjh7Ep
— JuventusFC 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@juventusfcen) February 14, 2026
Chivu had said Kalulu should’ve kept his hands to himself, implying the defender was at fault. Spalletti disagreed, emphasizing that simulation is an offence to football, and Juventus needs to improve.
The controversy surrounds Kalulu’s second yellow card, adjudged harshly by Italian newspapers. VAR couldn’t intervene as it was a second yellow, not a straight red.
Some called for Bastoni to be dropped from Italy’s squad, but Spalletti defended him, saying, “Gattuso has to be free to call up whoever he wants.” He emphasized Bastoni’s value to the team.
Spalletti focused on Juventus’ response to the incident, highlighting their maturity in bouncing back. “What happens isn’t important, but what you do when something happens to you is.”
