'Playing the victim!' - Ex-Inter chief blasts Juventus for 'exaggerated protests' against controversial Pierre Kalulu red card and defends Alessandro Bastoni from diving accusations

While Moratti was quick to point the finger at Juventus for their response, he was surprisingly candid about the actions of Inter defender Bastoni. Replays showed that he made no contact with the Italian international, yet the referee brandished a second yellow card in the 42nd minute, leaving the visitors with 10 men for most of the game with the scored tied at 1-1. 

Inter soon took the lead through Francesco Pio Esposito deep into the second half, only for Juventus to equalise in the 83rd minute. Just as the Bianconeri looked set to steal a point, Piotr Zielinski grabbed a 90th minute winner to restore their eight-point lead at the top of Serie A. The defeat, which leaves Juventus fifth in the table, sparked a furious reaction from the away side, who pointed to the questionable dismissal of Kalulu as the key moment that tipped the scale in Inter's favour.

"Now Juve are complaining; they are playing the victim, and they are certainly a victim of a new event. It seems to me that they have exaggerated a bit in their protests, as if they were a terrible victim of Italian football, but history does not remember them that way," Moratti told Radio Anch'io Sport. While acknowledging that the Frenchman's dismissal was harsh, he took aim at the narrative coming out of the Allianz Stadium.

He continued: "Simulations are annoying, even those who pretend to take a hit to the face when they actually took it on the chest. They have become boring. This one by Bastoni was an 'enthusiastic' simulation; he made an incredible jump from an extension of the opponent's arm. Kalulu regretted it, but he still extended his arm and put Bastoni in a position to take advantage of the situation. So, let's say the boy got enthusiastic about having this possibility. It turned into an injustice because Kalulu did not commit a foul and Bastoni deserved something for his simulation. VAR has complicated football: it has created a false certainty of judgment that people have grown used to."

While Moratti admitted that the Inter defender’s theatrics were unnecessary, he was quick to leap to the defense of the Italy international, who has faced a wave of personal attacks and social media abuse. There have even been calls for national team coach Gennaro Gattuso to drop him for their next matches, but Moratti feels he has already suffered enough.

"I believe that Gattuso can do without punishing Bastoni. For the Nerazzurri defender, the attacks he is facing from everyone are already a punishment," he said. "It doesn't seem worth it to me. I don't know what poor Bastoni went through at that moment, but now he is in the middle of a storm. Poor boy. I hope it passes quickly and that what he did does not remain as an example. It's not worth dragging this on for a year; we understand it was an error and that he made a mistake."

Asked if the club would take any action to punish the defender, the former owner said: "It depends on the relationship between the coach and the player; we can't know for sure. Clearly, the coach defends the player in public, then it's possible that in private he tells him to be careful. What would I have done? It depends on the player, the timing, and the circumstances. I don't know the players well enough to say what I would do."

The incident has also reignited the debate over VAR's limitations, as the technology could not intervene on a second yellow card, leaving referee Federico La Penna’s decision to stand. This error led to referee designator Gianluca Rocchi also calling out the official for his conduct during what many have dubbed a "ruined" derby.

For now, Bastoni remains in the eye of the storm as Italy prepares for crucial World Cup play-offs, with the footballing world divided over whether "enthusiastic" simulation should carry consequences beyond the final whistle. As Inter look to move forward, the focus remains on whether the "poor boy" can block out the noise. With Juventus still reeling from a defeat they feel was manufactured by officials, the fallout from this Derby d’Italia looks set to simmer for weeks to come.