Spalletti credited for preventing physical confrontation between Comolli and La Penna – Football Italia

TURIN, ITALY – FEBRUARY 08: Juventus FC head coach Luciano Spalletti looks on during the Serie A match between Juventus FC and SS Lazio at Allianz Stadium on February 8, 2026 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)

Juventus head coach Luciano Spalletti was not among the Bianconeri representatives to receive a ban after the Derby d’Italia against Inter on Saturday evening, and was instead credited for breaking up a heated confrontation between CEO Damien Comolli and referee Federico La Penna in the tunnel. 

The Derby d’Italia was marred by a first-half refereeing error when Juventus’s Pierre Kalulu was wrongly sent off for a second bookable offence in the 42nd minute despite replays showing that Alessandro Bastoni, who was on a yellow card himself at the time, had dived in an attempt to get his opponent sent off. 

The game ended 3-2 in favour of Inter, who found the eventual winner through Piotr Zielinski in the 90th minute against the 10-man Bianconeri. 

Spalletti: ‘prevented’ physical confrontation between Comolli and La Penna

Juventus officials were not best pleased by the events that unfolded on the pitch. Comolli and Giorgio Chiellini were sent to address the media instead of head coach Spalletti, and Comolli was also seen angrily confronting the referee, La Penna, in the tunnel during the half-time break. 

For his actions on Saturday, Comolli has been handed a €15,000 fine and has also been banned until the end of March. Chiellini has been banned until the end of February. 

Kalulu will also have to serve a one-match ban despite being wrongly sent off, and Inter midfielders Hakan Calhanoglu and Nicolo Barella have also earned one-match suspensions after picking up their fifth yellow cards in the league on Saturday. 

Spalletti has not been given any punishment by the sports judge, whose report was released on Tuesday. 

The only mention of Spalletti, in fact, came in the explanation of Comolli’s ban. The coach was credited with pulling the club CEO away from La Penna in an attempt to diffuse the situation. 

The report noted that Comolli earned his fine and suspension: “For having adopted an aggressive and seriously intimidating attitude towards the match official in the tunnel at the end of the first half, seeking physical contact with him, which was prevented thanks to the intervention of the Juventus coach and other members of the coaching staff.” 

Comolli also made “seriously insulting remarks towards the match official and repeated such behaviour outside the referees’ dressing room.”

Spalletti, Comolli e Chiellini infuriati (a fine primo tempo) all’ingresso del tunnel contro La Penna 🔥😱

🎥 @fedel.96 #Tuttosport #Inter #Juventus pic.twitter.com/gwfx8CSFIg

— Tuttosport (@tuttosport) February 14, 2026