Inter CEO Marotta Protects Alessandro Bastoni: "He is subjected to constant lynching"

Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni has faced a challenging period since the beginning of 2026, prompting Nerazzurri CEO Beppe Marotta to publicly come to his defense.

Bastoni's recent struggles have made him a frequent subject of discussion, notably during Inter's recent match against Roma. His sending off during Italy’s loss to Bosnia came weeks after he was criticized in the media following Pierre Kalulu’s red card against Juventus, where Bastoni was perceived to have played a role.

These incidents had forced Bastoni to issue a public apology, while rumors of interest from Barcelona have also slowly begun to emerge.

Speaking ahead of the Roma game, Marotta strongly condemned the ongoing scrutiny, characterizing the treatment of Bastoni as "constant lynching."

Hitting back at his detractors, the Italian executive stated: “It’s shameful that he’s been subjected to this constant lynching as if he were guilty of something beyond belief. The origins of Italy’s elimination go back a little further. Beyond that, a boy his age doesn’t deserve this treatment.”

Marotta further commented on the prevalence of self-proclaimed football experts in Italy, emphasizing that Bastoni remains a shining light for the game.

He continued: “Mistakes are made in life, but here in Italy we’re all used to having to become psychologists and football experts, analyzing situations without knowing who we’re dealing with. We all acknowledged that he made a mistake, for a boy his age. Bastoni is an asset to Inter and Italian football.”

Marotta also made it unequivocally clear that there are no immediate plans for Bastoni to leave Inter.

“And we consider him as such for now, there aren’t the right circumstances or conditions for him to abandon this shirt. As with all players, there may be situations that will be addressed later,” he concluded.