Italy internationals Alessandro Bastoni and Nicolò Barella experienced a deeply emotional night, visibly moved by the outpouring of support from Inter fans in the aftermath of their World Cup play-off defeat.
This marked their first game since Italy’s devastating penalty shootout loss to Bosnia and Herzegovina, a result that shockingly eliminated them from a third consecutive World Cup tournament.
Inter Fans Show Overwhelming Support for Italy Players
Bastoni’s red card in the Zenica match was a major turning point, widely seen as a significant factor in Italy’s exit and drawing immense criticism from both the media and the public.
Already under pressure from calls to be dropped after admitting to a dive that led to Pierre Kalulu’s controversial red card for Juventus last month, his dismissal in such a crucial international fixture only intensified the scrutiny.
Despite circulating rumors that Bastoni sought a move to Barcelona to escape the mounting pressure, he received a moving standing ovation from the San Siro faithful when substituted during Inter’s dominant 5-2 victory over Roma.
His Italy teammate Barella also experienced a profound moment. After scoring, he appeared to hold back tears while acknowledging the fans, then quickly embraced coach Cristian Chivu and Bastoni on the touchline.
