Alessandro Bastoni and his return to Serie A action were overshadowed by a sustained chorus of boos from the Lecce crowd, as the fallout from his Derby d’Italia controversy continued to follow the Inter Milan defender a week on from the incident.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, via FCInterNews, the Via del Mare greeted Bastoni with a “carpet of surprising and continuous whistles” from start to finish.
Indeed, it was his first league appearance since the drama of the Juventus game, in which his public apology the day before the Bodo trip did little to dampen the hostility he faced in Salento.
The response from his teammates, however, told a different story entirely.
When the first whistles rang out, assistant coach Aleksandar Kolarov threw his arms wide in disbelief.
Chivu, meanwhile, wore a bitter smile, a mix of surprise and frustration.
The coach made a point of encouraging Bastoni every time the defender came close to the touchline throughout the match.
The support did not end there.
As Bastoni left the field at full time, the entire bench applauded him.
With Kolarov reportedly telling him “you were a champion.”
Indeed, a show of solidarity that underlines how highly the defender is regarded within the dressing room.
There is a practical consequence to the booking Bastoni picked up at Lecce, however.
Already on a yellow card caution, the suspension rules him out of the upcoming clash with Genoa.
However, Gazzetta note that, on balance, it may be better to arrive at the Derby della Madonnina on March 8th with a clean disciplinary slate.
Whether the boos will follow him to that occasion remains to be seen.
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