Referee Receives Death Threats After Inter-Juventus Red Card

Referee Federico La Penna has involved the police after receiving death threats targeting his wife and young daughters, following the controversial dismissal of Pierre Kalulu in the Inter-Juventus match.

According to reports from Italy, La Penna has lodged a formal complaint with the police after a series of terrifying social media messages were sent. The threats extended beyond the referee himself, targeting his family with harrowing statements such as “I’ll shoot you,” “I’ll kill you,” and “we will come and find you. We know where you live.”

A qualified lawyer outside of football, La Penna acted swiftly to document the abuse and seek legal protection against these cowardly acts.

Federico La Penna also faces a lengthy suspension for the error, as Italian football authorities seek to temper frustrations amidst the ongoing fallout.

Italian Referees Association (AIA) referee designator Gianluca Rocchi indicated that a cooling-off period is necessary, with La Penna facing a potential one-month suspension from Serie A duties.

Rocchi labelled the decision to send off Kalulu for a second yellow card, adjudged for pulling Alessandro Bastoni, a “clearly wrong” error. He admitted the officiating team was “very sorry” for the incident, noting that VAR could not intervene under current protocols.

The AIA chief further explained that the referee is “distraught” by the mistake, compounded by what he described as Bastoni’s “clear simulation.” While some within the refereeing body considered a quick return to the pitch to help La Penna “overcome the shock,” the volume of hostility and personal nature of the threats now make a period away from the spotlight the most likely outcome. The suspension aims to allow the official to regain his composure after a weekend of unprecedented vitriol.