Serie A's referee designator Gianluca Rocchi said match official Federico La Penna was clearly wrong in showing Juventus defender Pierre Kalulu a second yellow card during Saturday's loss at Inter, and apologised over the incident. Kalulu was sent off after Inter's Alessandro Bastoni tumbled to the ground and immediately gestured towards the referee demanding a card, indicating that Kalulu had grabbed his shirt to bring him down. Television footage suggested there was no contact between the players.
The key concept is that the interpretation of the presence and distance away of a second defender can change the punishment from a yellow card to a straight red card. The referee shows a red card, believing it involves a clear goalscoring opportunity. The action presents two possible scenarios, depending on a second Real Madrid defender, key to the move. If we believe that he could arrive and challenge for the ball, the adequate punishment should be a yellow card.
