He’ll have to find a club abroad – Barcelona target Alessandro Bastoni told to leave Italy ‘for his own safety’ after red card

Barcelona target Alessandro Bastoni has been urged to leave Italian football after the Inter defender’s dismissal for Italy in their play-off final defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Azzurri played the majority of the match with ten men following Bastoni’s red card and eventually lost on penalties, intensifying scrutiny on the 25-year-old.

Italy great Giuseppe Bergomi, speaking to Radio Nerazzurra, said the centre-back should seek a fresh start overseas.

“What has this boy been put through? He is a friend, I see him at basketball games sometimes, I care deeply about him,” Bergomi stated.

“Now he will have to leave Italy for his own safety. We are losing an extraordinary talent, one of the best defenders in modern football. I am very sorry, but I think that for his own sake he will have to find a club abroad.”

Bastoni had already faced criticism in Serie A for his involvement in a contentious sending-off of Milan’s Pierre Kalulu against Juventus, and the latest incident has further soured his reputation among sections of the Italian public.

With Barcelona among the clubs monitoring his situation, a move outside Italy could now represent both a sporting and personal escape for the defender.