Marotta defends Bastoni after Italy exit and leaves Barcelona door slightly open

Inter President Beppe Marotta blasted the ‘shameful lynching in the media’ of Alessandro Bastoni after Italy’s World Cup exit, but did not rule out a sale to Barcelona either.

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The clash with Roma kicks off at San Siro at 19.45 UK time (20.45 CEST).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from today’s Serie A games on the Liveblog.

The Nerazzurri went into the break for international duty with their previous 10-point lead at the top sliced to just six, on a three-match winless streak.

It could be a very positive round for them, as the chasing pack Milan and Napoli go head-to-head on Monday night.

Marotta keeps Inter on their toes PISA, ITALY – NOVEMBER 30: Giuseppe Marotta of FC Internazionale looks on prior to the Serie A match between Pisa SC and FC Internazionale at Arena Garibaldi on November 30, 2025 in Pisa, Italy. (Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images) “There are eight rounds to go, 24 points up for grabs, and that is a lot, but a victory would give us more confidence and security,” Marotta told DAZN Italia.

“There is a head-to-head tomorrow, but I continue to insist it is all to play for, as there are still many games involving the teams fighting against relegation and they are going to be highly-motivated, so anything could still happen.

“In every match, you’ve got to fight hard and be very motivated.”

Lautaro Martinez is back in the starting XI for the first time since his calf strain against Bodo/Glimt on February 18, but Carlos Augusto is suspended with Yann Bisseck injured.

ZENICA, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA – MARCH 31: The referee Clèment Turpin shows the red card to Alessandro Bastoni of Italy during the FIFA World Cup 2026 European Qualifiers KO play-offs match between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Italy at Stadion Bilino Polje on March 31, 2026 in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina. (Photo by Getty Images/Getty Images) Alessandro Bastoni plays despite the trauma of his red card contributing to Italy’s World Cup play-off failure against Bosnia and Herzegovina, with reports he is in talks for a move to Barcelona.

“It is shameful that Bastoni is exposed to this continual lynching in the media, as if he was guilty of who knows what,” noted Marotta.

“If you look at the World Cup elimination, the reasons behind that go much further back. In any case, a lad of his age does not deserve this kind of treatment. People make mistakes in life, but in Italy everyone thinks they are experts and psychologists, without knowing the kind of man and professional they are dealing with.

CAGLIARI, ITALY – DECEMBER 28: Giuseppe Marotta president of Inter looks on during the Serie A match between Cagliari and FC Internazionale at Sardegna Arena on December 28, 2024 in Cagliari, Italy. (Photo by Enrico Locci/Getty Images) “He made a mistake, we all recognised that, but it can happen for a lad of his age. Having said all of that, Bastoni is an asset of Inter and of Italian football.

“I was reading in the paper that it was almost an obligation for him to leave this shirt and this country, but there are no such extremes. As with all players, we’ll discuss their future later on.”

Marotta has been mentioned by some as a potential candidate to become the new FIGC President following the resignation of Gabriele Gravina.

What does he think is the key to solving the crisis in Calcio?

“It would be a very long conversation. Everyone thinks they are experts of football, but this goes back a long way, we have not been competitive since 2006, even if we won EURO 2020 in that period,” replied the Inter President.

MILAN, ITALY – JULY 29: AC Milan President Paolo Scaroni (L) poses with FC Internazionale CEO Giuseppe Marotta during the Serie A 2019/2020 fixture unveiling on July 29, 2019 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Emilio Andreoli/Getty Images for Lega Serie A) “There are many causes, it requires a long debate. I do think we lack talents, because how come the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, the land of Dino Zoff, Fabio Capello and Fulvio Collovati, no longer produces players?

“We need to go back and understand what the sport of football is, why we are not finding young players. I would prefer it to not turn into an argument, so we can all work in the same direction.”