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• Champions League | Bodo/Glimt 3-1 Inter – Player Ratings as Høgh Puts Inter to the Sword

  Bodo/Glimt secured a significant 3-1 victory over Inter in the first leg of their Champions League play-off. The Norwegian side mounted a strong second-half comeback, with Kasper Høgh being the standout performer, contributing a goal and two assists. Inter’s performance was marred by defensive frailties and questionable tactical decisions from coach Cristian Chivu.

  
  

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• Angry fans want Bastoni dropped from Italy national team following embarrassing Derby d’Italia dive

  Supporters and pundits are calling for Alessandro Bastoni to be excluded from the Italy national team after his simulation led to an unjust red card in the Derby d’Italia.

  ​Inter Milan defender Alessandro Bastoni is facing a fierce backlash following his role in the controversial dismissal of Pierre Kalulu during Saturday’s 3-2 victory over Juventus.

  Replays showed Bastoni simulated contact to earn Kalulu a second yellow card, an act branded as “anti-sportsmanship” by critics.

  With Italy currently preparing for crucial World Cup play-offs in March, a growing number of fans and reporters have voiced that Bastoni’s actions do not align with the values of the national shirt.

  ​The controversy has reached a boiling point just as Italy manager Gennaro Gattuso finalizes his 50-man radar for the upcoming semi-final against Northern Ireland.

  Pundit Alessandro Jacobone urged Gattuso to “leave him at home,” while TMW’s Luca Calamai questioned if such a player deserves to represent Italy on the global stage.

  As the federation and coaching staff weigh the outcry, the incident has overshadowed Inter’s derby win and cast doubt on the defender’s standing within the Azzurri setup.

• Kalulu red card sparks debate for VAR rule change ahead of 2026 World Cup

  The International Football Association Board (IFAB) is set to discuss expanding VAR’s remit to include second yellow card reviews, a move accelerated by the controversial dismissal of Pierre Kalulu in Saturday’s Inter-Juventus clash.  

  ​Football’s rule-making body, IFAB, is under increasing pressure to overhaul video review protocols following a refereeing blunder that overshadowed Inter Milan’s 3-2 victory over Juventus.

  Defender Pierre Kalulu was sent off for a second yellow card despite replays showing Alessandro Bastoni had simulated contact.

  Currently, VAR is restricted to reviewing direct red cards, meaning officials were powerless to correct the “absurd” decision.

  Reports indicate that IFAB will formally address this loophole at its Annual General Meeting in Cardiff on February 28.

  ​Beyond the “Kalulu Rule,” the upcoming assembly is expected to finalize a suite of changes aimed at streamlining the sport for the 2026 World Cup in North America.

  Proposals include allowing VAR to correct wrongly awarded corner kicks and implementing strict “countdown” limits—likely eight to ten seconds—for throw-ins and goal kicks to eliminate time-wasting.

  If ratified, these “specific extensions” of the VAR system would represent the most significant update to officiating technology since its global introduction.

  ​The 2026 World Cup is viewed as the ideal stage to debut these reforms to ensure high-stakes matches are not decided by factual errors.

  FIFA’s refereeing chairman Pierluigi Collina has been a vocal supporter of expanding technology to cover corners, provided it does not disrupt the game’s flow.

  With the annual assembly just weeks away, the football world awaits a vote that could fundamentally change how dismissals and set pieces are managed on the world’s biggest stage.

• Serie A referee chief apologize to Juventus following clear mistake in Kalulu red card

  Referee designator Gianluca Rocchi issued a formal apology after Pierre Kalulu was erroneously sent off during the Derby d’Italia, citing a refereeing blunder and Alessandro Bastoni’s blatant dive.

  ​Refereeing designator Gianluca Rocchi has officially apologized for the “absurd” dismissal of Juventus defender Pierre Kalulu during Saturday’s 3-2 defeat to Inter.

  Official Federico La Penna showed Kalulu a second yellow card following what replays confirmed was a dive by Alessandro Bastoni.

  Rocchi admitted the officiating team felt “very sorry” for the error, which stood because current VAR protocols prohibit intervention for second bookings.

  ​Rocchi confirmed that La Penna is “distraught” by the mistake but also took aim at Bastoni’s conduct. He noted that the referee was “not the only one who made a mistake, because there was clear simulation yesterday.”

  The incident has reportedly accelerated discussions within IFAB to change rules at their next assembly, potentially allowing VAR reviews for all red card scenarios to prevent similar game-changing injustices.

• Del Piero slams Chivu and Bastoni after Kalulu red card: ‘Inter don’t need this’

  Alessandro Del Piero criticized Inter Milan’s head coach and defender for defending a controversial second yellow card shown to Pierre Kalulu during Saturday’s Derby d’Italia.

  ​Juventus icon Alessandro Del Piero has condemned Inter Milan head coach Cristian Chivu and defender Alessandro Bastoni following a contentious red card in Inter’s 3-2 victory.

  Pierre Kalulu was dismissed for a second booking after Bastoni appeared to dive.

  Despite replays showing minimal contact, Chivu defended the decision, suggesting Kalulu’s experience should have prevented the situation. Del Piero argued that the league leaders should not rely on such errors.

  ​The World Cup winner expressed disappointment in Chivu’s post-match interpretation during his Sky Sport Italia punditry appearance.

  “Inter also don’t need this,” Del Piero remarked, suggesting that a dominant team should prioritize winning fairly.

  He hoped Chivu would eventually admit that “what happened on the pitch wasn’t a touch for which a player should be sent off, and that Bastoni shouldn’t have gone down like that.”