Galatasaray forward Victor Osimhen has written a recounting of his life and career in The Player’s Tribune, describing Luciano Spalletti as “like a father to me”, when he moved to Napoli from Lille at a difficult personal time.

In the article, titled ‘A Prayer From the Gutter’, he covers the entirety of his career, from playing barefoot in the streets of Nigeria as a boy, to having to help provide for his family at a young age – before his big break after a heartbreaking rejection.

It is quite the touching tale for the former Napoli man, and he was clearly very fond of his time in Naples.

Osimhen recounted how transfer negotiations at Lille prevented him from being able to go home and visit his dying father at the beginning of the COVID pandemic. He even considered “never playing football again” after the incident, as he was so “disgusted” by how the club operate as a business.

Osimhen said “When I left Lille, I was lost. When I came to Napoli, I was found.”

“I really have to thank the city and the fans and my teammates for turning my life around.

“I remember the first meeting I had when I arrived, I told the coach, Mr. Spalletti, “I am not well. I am very angry right now. Very sad. My head is not straight.””

Osimhen went on to describe Spalletti as “like a father to me. When I wasn’t doing something right, he came for my neck. But he believed in me deep in his soul, I swear. He thought I could be the best in the world.”

Osimhen: ‘Spalletti would sleep in his office at Napoli, I chose Galatasaray for their passion’

The Nigerian forward then described the hard working conditions expected at Napoli:

“We couldn’t even complain, because Mr. Spalletti was sleeping in his office during that time. He had a little bed set up. Like in the army. He had a wife at home, but for five months, he slept there.

“I remember before big matches he would tell us, “You guys don’t understand what will happen if you win the title. Me? They might speak about me for 2 or 3 years. But you players, they will speak about you until you are old men.””

His time at Napoli was summed up quite well in the end by the Galatasaray forward: “To win a title is one thing. But to win a Scudetto for Napoli for the first time in 33 years is true history. This is why I choose the teams that I choose.”

On this topic, he went on to describe why he left Napoli and, in particular, why he chose Galatasaray.

“When I left Napoli, do you know how many people told me, “Do not go to Turkey. Are you crazy?”

“A former agent even told me, “No, no, no. Don’t go there. It’s not a smart move.”

“But I think with my heart. I wanted to play for Galatasaray. How can I go from the emotion of Napoli to just any club? Impossible. Boring.

“I wanted to go to a top 3 club in the world in terms of passion. Those are the kind of people who really understand me. The ones who live football in a different way.”

Inter Milan president Giuseppe Marotta has expressed his eagerness to move on from the controversy surrounding Alessandro Bastoni and Pierre Kalulu’s red card in the Derby d’Italia as his side focus on tonight’s Champions League play-off against Bodo/Glimt.

You can follow all the action from the first leg, in addition to Milan-Como, as it happens, on our Live Blog.

Speaking on Sky, Marotta discussed several topics.

First he was asked about the debate surrounding tonight’s stadium, with Bodo/Glimt’s home pitch being an artificial turf. It has caused problems for some teams visiting the Norwegian side but Marotta dismissed it was any breaking news:

“We don’t want to get into controversy, we know this is an old-school synthetic pitch that inevitably is problematic. We must adapt to this situation too.”

Speaking about the Bastoni debate, the Inter president said:

“I don’t want to add anything else, this is a chapter that left a bitter taste in the mouth. We want to focus on this very difficult match, hoping that all the Italian teams can go through to the next phase in Europe.”

Bodo/Glimt vs Inter – Marotta on Italian football crisis & Stankovic buy-back

Marotta then addressed ongoing issues within Italian football, that he described as “going backwards in terms of quality, results and appeal.”

He added that “The foreign funds arrived during a moment of difficulty and complexity in the Calcio world, and if not for them, the Milanese clubs would be in a much worse situation.”

“Since Oaktree took over, we invested, and can consider ourselves fortunate in that sense. I am not sceptical about foreign funds owning clubs at all. Obviously, they must also have the desire to invest and not just have speculative interests.”

Marotta was then asked to talk about Aleksandar Stankovic, who is enjoying a fantastic season with Belgian Pro League side Club Brugge.

Stankovic joined the Belgian side last summer but the Nerazzurri kept a buy-back clause in his contract.

With his performances improving month-on-month, it seems fairly likely that Inter will activate said clause.

On the matter, Marotta said:

“He is from a fine football family and is doing very well. We have the option to buy him back, and we didn’t put that in the deal for no reason.

“It is premature to talk about it now, we’ll see what happens. He is our player and is having a wonderful experience in the Belgian league and Champions League.”

Inter head coach Cristian Chivu has spoken to Prime Video ahead of Inter’s Champions League play-off first leg against Norwegian club Bodo/Glimt.

In the interview, he said that “there can be no alibis or excuses” when asked about playing in freezing conditions on an artificial turf in Norway – stating that “the pitch shouldn’t worry us, we have to be mentally and physically ready to play in these conditions.”

Inter vs Bodo/Glimt – Chivu warns of ‘proven’ opposition

He warned his side not to underestimate their opposition tonight, describing the Norwegian club’s “intensity that they are capable of on this pitch.”

Chivu said Bodo/Glimt have “proven themselves with the results they’ve achieved and beyond,” with all quotes via FCInterNews.

Finally, the Romanian coach underlined that the play-off covers two legs.

“There are two games to play, you have to play with maturity and understanding in these conditions. And you have to remember that it will be played over two legs. You have to do everything to secure qualification.”

You can follow all the action from the game, as well as Milan’s Serie A clash against Como, where they look to close the gap on their city rivals in the Scudetto race, on our Live Blog.

Bodo/Glimt welcome Inter on a freezing cold February evening in Norway, in what promises to be an interesting match as the two sides tussle in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League play-off tie – Nerazzurri head coach Cristian Chivu has decided to start Matteo Darmian in a surprising move.

The match kicks off at 20:00 GMT (21:00 CET) and you can follow all the action from that game, and Milan’s Serie A clash against Como, on our Live Blog.

The Serie A leaders looked strong for most of the Champions League league phase but narrowly missed out on a place in the top eight – which would have seen them bypass this tricky play-off tie altogether.

However, the cards have been dealt and Chivu has opted to rotate his team in part for the match.

La nostra formazione
Forza Nerazzurri pic.twitter.com/xxIMbcQdrP

— Inter (@Inter) February 18, 2026

The second leg will decide the Nerazzurri’s fate in the competition next Tuesday at San Siro, but they will hope to get themselves off to a good start this evening.

Bodo/Glimt vs Inter – Official Lineups

Bodo/Glimt: Haikin; Sjovold, Bjortuft, Gundersen, Bjorkan; Evjen, Berg, Fet; Blomberg, Hogh, Hauge

Inter: Sommer; Bastoni, Acerbi, Akanji; Darmian, Sucic, Barella, Mkhitaryan, Carlos Augusto; Pio Esposito, Lautaro

18-02-2026 20:00

Knockout phase play-offs

Aspmyra Stadion

Bodø/Glimt

Inter

Live

3 - 1

Player statistic

1st half

Sondre Brunstad Fet (Assist: Kasper Högh)		20'
		30'		Pio Esposito (Assist: Carlos Augusto)
		45'		Pio Esposito

2nd half

Jens Petter Hauge (Assist: Kasper Högh)		61'
Kasper Högh (Assist: Ole Didrik Blomberg)		64'
Ole Didrik Blomberg		77'

Bodø/Glimt

Inter

Starting lineups

12

Nikita Haikin

Goalkeeper

15

Fredrik Björkan

Defender

6

Jostein Gundersen

Defender

4

Odin Bjørtuft

Defender

20

Fredrik Sjövold

Midfielder

7

Patrick Berg

Midfielder

19

Sondre Brunstad Fet

Midfielder

26

Hakon Evjen

Attacker

10

Jens Petter Hauge

Attacker

9

Kasper Högh

Attacker

78'

11

Ole Didrik Blomberg

Attacker

78'

1

Yann Sommer

Goalkeeper

95

Alessandro Bastoni

Defender

15

Francesco Acerbi

Defender

25

Manuel Akanji

Defender

36

Matteo Darmian

Defender

75'

8

Petar Sucic

Defender

30

Carlos Augusto

Midfielder

22

Henrikh Mkhitaryan

Midfielder

76'

23

Nicolò Barella

Midfielder

94

Pio Esposito

Attacker

76'

10

Lautaro Martínez

Attacker

61'

Substitutes

5

Haitam Aleesami

Defender

14

Ulrik Saltnes

Midfielder

1

Julian Faye Lund

Goalkeeper

22

Anders Klynge

Midfielder

45

Isak Sjong

Goalkeeper

24

Daniel Bassi

Midfielder

25

Isak Dybvik Määttä

Midfielder

94

August Mikkelsen

Attacker

2

Villads Nielsen

Defender

23

Magnus Riisnæs

Midfielder

8

Sondre Auklend

Midfielder

78'

21

Andreas Helmersen

Attacker

78'

32

Federico Dimarco

Defender

6

Stefan de Vrij

Defender

13

Josep Martínez

Goalkeeper

17

Andy Diouf

Attacker

12

Raffaele Di Gennaro

Goalkeeper

31

Yann Bisseck

Defender

45

Leonardo Bovo

Midfielder

9

Marcus Thuram

Attacker

61'

11

Luis Henrique

Attacker

75'

7

Piotr Zielinski

Midfielder

76'

14

Ange-Yoan Bonny

Defender

76'

Milan are working hard to sign Luka Modric to a new one-year contract extension, after the legendary Croatian midfielder continues to play an important role for the Rossoneri.

The Croatian veteran has been a huge hit in Lombardy, after signing from Real Madrid last summer on a free transfer in a one-year deal.

So far this season, he has played nearly 2000 minutes for Massimiliano Allegri’s side, in all competitions, scoring twice, assisting three more and being an ever-present cog in the Rossoneri machine.

Milan working hard on Modric contract

According to CalcioMercato, there is a ‘growing optimism’ at Milan that Modric will agree to a new deal, after Allegri has developed a reported ‘relationship of great mutual respect and trust’ with the former Madrid midfielder.

The Croatian will turn 41 in September and it looks increasingly likely that he will continue into yet another year of football – for a man who in his own words just loves playing the sport.

There is already a clause in his contract that allows the club to trigger a one-year extension, with a higher salary of around €4.5 million, if the club qualify for the Champions League.

Of course, the former Ballon d’Or winner also wants guarantees that he will continue to play a starring role for the club – not content to just sit on the bench.

Inter make a chilly trip to Bodo/Glimt this evening, in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League play-off clash against the Norwegian side.

The match promises to be interesting for a number of reasons, with cold temperatures and an artificial pitch for the Nerazzurri to contend with – and the Serie A side have four players at risk of missing the second leg if they receive a booking tonight.

As noted by FCInterNews, Lautaro Martinez, Francesco Acerbi, Henrik Mkhitaryan and Alessandro Bastoni are all in danger of a one-match ban.

Bodo/Glimt vs Inter – Challenging Nerazzurri test with bans on the line

For players like Martinez, Mkhitaryan and Bastoni especially, being without them in the return leg could become a problem if Inter do not pick up a comfortable result in Norway.

However, that is easier said than done.

It is a tricky place for any team to go in the Champions League and strong teams like Manchester City have already slipped up in the freezing cold city of Bodø.

Inter hoped to avoid having to participate in the play-offs but just missed out on a place in the top eight of the league phase, giving them an awkward play-off tie against an unpredictable team.

Follow all the action from the match, as it happens, on our Live Blog.

Torino have confirmed that Scottish forward Ché Adams will miss up to three weeks after being pulled out of training and undergoing medical examinations that revealed a fresh injury.

According to the official statement from the Turin club, Adams has “undergone medical examinations that have revealed a partial sprain in the soleus muscle of his right leg.”

Frustrating blow for Torino as Adams confirmed injured

In short, it means that the forward will miss around 20 days of football, putting him out of action for Sunday’s trip to Genoa and the match against Lazio on March 1.

It will then be touch-and-go as to whether or not he is available for the match against Napoli after that.

It is a frustrating setback for the forward especially, who will want to be in prime condition for this summer’s World Cup.

Fortunately, Scotland qualified automatically and therefore Adams’ injury comes as no real blow to the national set-up, other than concerns if it becomes a reoccurring issue in the run-up to the tournament in North America & Mexico.

Former Juventus midfielder Massimo Mauro has claimed that whilst there is nothing special about struggling left-backs Andrea Cambiaso and Juan Cabal, there is a deeper rooted problem at the club in that they are missing the “five or six players who control the game, the ones they’ve always had.”

Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Mauro said “Cambiaso isn’t a leader, he’s just a normal person.”

However, he added that “neither he nor [Juan] Cabal are Juventus’ problem – rather the lack of five or six players who control the game, the ones they’ve always had.”

Mauro, on the whole, was not impressed by the players at Juventus’ disposal and claimed that “the coach [Luciano Spalletti] is the only one the club need to keep.”

Juventus brushed aside by Galatasaray in Istanbul

Juventus were humbled in a 5-2 drubbing at the hands of Galatasaray on Tuesday night, with two goals from former Napoli man Noa Lang and a Juan Cabal red card adding insult to injury. Cabal had only come on for Cambiaso at half-time and it took him twenty minutes to pick up two yellow cards, putting a massive dent in the Bianconeri’s hopes of staying in the Champions League.

It would now take a miracle in Turin for Juventus to qualify for the next round but former players like Mauro remain unconvinced that the club have what it takes to pull it out of the bag.

On the upside, elimination from the continental competition would allow the Bianconeri to focus their efforts on a top four place in Serie A.

Milan are preparing to host Como at San Siro this evening, as the Rossoneri look to increase their pressure on league leaders Inter and prevent their rivals from running away in the Scudetto race. Ruben Loftus-Cheek is set to miss the match, with Christopher Nkunku ready to pair with Rafael Leao in attack.

The match kicks off at 19:45 GMT (20:45 CET) and provides the Rossoneri with a fascinating challenge in Cesc Fabregas’ tricky Como side.

According to Sky Sport, via CalcioMercato, Loftus-Cheek is struggling with his overall fitness and is not ready to lead the line for Milan.

Milan vs Como – Loftus-Cheek to miss San Siro clash

Loftus-Cheek has scored in back-to-back games for the Rossoneri, playing in the front two but now Nkunku will step in to replace him.

The Frenchman has been inconsistent to say the least, since his big money move from Chelsea last summer.

However, Massimiliano Allegri will be hoping that Nkunku can step up in what may turn out to be a pivotal game in the race for the Scudetto.

Serie A | Napoli 2-2 Roma: New buys do battle as Alisson silences Malen, as Partenopei new boy Alisson Santos scored a late goal to cancel out a brace from Roma winter signing Donyell Malen.

Malen was Football Italia’s Man of the Match, whilst strong performances from Alisson, N’Dicka and Beukema underpinned a hard-fought draw at the Maradona.

Napoli 2-2 Roma – Player Ratings

Napoli: Milinkovic-Savic 6; Rrahmani 5 (Alisson 7.5), Buongiorno 5.5, Beukema 6.5; Gutierrez 5, Lobotka 6, Elmas 6.5 (Gilmour N/A), Spinazzola 6.5 (Olivera 6); Politano 5.5 (Mazzocchi N/A), Vergara 5.5 (Giovane 6.5); Hojlund 6

Best Napoli player: Alisson Santos – The Brazilian came on to not only save the game but inject some much needed venom into the Neapolitan attack. He scored the late equaliser and has potentially earned his right to start some upcoming games.

Lowest Napoli rating: Amir Rrahmani – Somewhat shocking performance from the experienced defender, who has been one of the very best in Serie A this season. Therefore, he must be held to a high standard – to which he fell short tonight – culminating with him injuring himself while giving away the penalty for Roma’s second goal.

Coach: Antonio Conte 6 – Reacted well with his substitutes despite a still paper thin squad. Clearly missing key difference makers in the midfield such as McTominay and Zambo-Anguissa but showed flexibility today to fight back against a spirited Roma.

Roma: Svilar 6; Mancini 6, N’Dicka 7, Ghilardi 6.5; Celik 6, Cristante 6, Pisilli 5.5 (El Aynaoui 6), Wesley 6.5 (Tsimikas 5); Pellegrini 5.5 (Venturino 5.5), Zaragoza 6 (Soule 5), Malen 8 (Vaz 5.5)

Best Roma player: Donyell Malen – Another brace for the Aston Villa loanee, who continues to shine following his two goals against Cagliari last Monday. The Dutchman has settled in well in the Italian capital and looked sharp today for his tap-in and penalty.

Lowest Roma rating: Kostas Tsimikas – Was only on the pitch for 20 minutes but can be held responsible for Alisson Santos’ equaliser. A poor clearance from the Greek full-back, who has hardly impressed on his loan spell from Liverpool.

Coach: Gian Piero Gasperini 6 – Never an easy game to rock up to the Maradona and put two past the champions but Gasperini’s side did that and would have come away with three points were it not for Alisson’s equaliser.

The chaos and drama of this weekend’s Serie A continued with tonight’s battle between Napoli and Roma at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in Naples.

You can follow all the action, as it happened, on our Live Blog.

With roughly 25 minutes to go, Wesley made a charging run into the penalty box for the visitors, and was brought down by Napoli centre-back Amir Rrahmani.

However, both players ended up getting injured in the challenge. Wesley was carried off, with an ice pack later strapped to his left ankle.

January signing Donyell Malen then converted from the spot to give the visitors a temporary lead in Naples.

Watch: Rrahmani & Wesley injured as Malen completes brace in Napoli vs Roma

Malen gets the brace, taking advantage of a penalty against Napoli #SerieA pic.twitter.com/NmAXc6TeaC

— DAZN Football (@DAZNFootball) February 15, 2026

Giacomo Raspadori faces a significant setback after picking up a first-degree hamstring strain during Atalanta BC’s clash with Lazio.

The injury, sustained late in the match, is expected to sideline him for at least three weeks, as per SportMediaset.

Head coach Raffaele Palladino, already without Charles De Ketelaere, confirmed that Raspadori will miss both legs of Atalanta’s Champions League play-off against Borussia Dortmund, with the first leg in Germany on February 17 and the return in Bergamo on February 25.

“It’s a real blow for us,” Palladino told club media.

“Raspadori has been in great form, and losing him for these crucial matches in Europe is a challenge we have to face together.”

Raspadori a doubt for Italy World Cup play-offs

The striker is also set to miss Atalanta’s trip to Naples and the Coppa Italia semifinal first leg against Lazio on March 4.

Beyond club commitments, his availability for the Italian national team is in doubt, with the World Cup play-off semifinal against Northern Ireland scheduled for March 26 in Bergamo now uncertain.

This injury deprives both Atalanta and Italy of one of their most versatile forwards.

Raspadori’s pace, movement, and finishing have been crucial this season, and his absence forces Palladino and Italy national team coach to reconsider attacking options.

Recovery over the next three weeks will be closely monitored, and the timing could influence squad selection for the World Cup play-offs, potentially reshaping Italy’s offensive strategy for one of the most important periods of the season.

Donyell Malen gave Roma the dream start against Napoli this evening, with an early goal from the Dutch forward gifting the Giallorossi the lead at the Maradona.

Malen, who signed on loan from Aston Villa in January, has settled in well in the Italian capital and has increased his goal tally.

Another January signing, Bryan Zaragoza, did well to make space on the right flank before playing a heavy low ball into the box for the Dutchman to convert comfortably.

Watch: Napoli vs Roma – Malen puts Giallorossi up

Donyell Malen silences the Maradona

Roma race free and into an early lead against Napoli!

@tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/z6OokMQkEG

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 15, 2026

Donyell Malen is on fire for Roma

He puts them ahead against Napoli in just six minutes! pic.twitter.com/vTe8QIVpr2

— CBS Sports Golazo (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 15, 2026

You can follow all the action from the rest of the game, as it happens, on our Live Blog.

Bologna returned to winning ways with a 2-1 victory away to Torino FC, a result that could prove pivotal in reigniting their season after a difficult spell.

Head coach Vincenzo Italiano praised match-winner Santiago Castro for his decisive contribution, highlighting the striker’s natural instincts in front of goal.

“A centre-forward can sometimes operate in that area and decide matches with a great piece of skill, like he did,” Italiano told Sky Sport, via TMW.

“Not every goal comes from a structured move. He had a brilliant intuition and scored a fantastic goal that helped us win a very important match after a difficult period. We need more performances like that to move beyond it.”

Torino 1-2 Bologna – Italiano: ‘Rowe is improving a lot’

The Rossoblu front line showed encouraging signs, particularly summer arrival Jonathan Rowe, who continues to adapt to Italian football.

“Above all Rowe is improving a lot,” Italiano said. “He has the ability to do very well one-on-one. When he adds consistency and composure near goal, he can become a top-level player. He comes from a different footballing culture, he’s young and doesn’t speak much Italian yet.”

Italiano also pointed to the importance of wide players contributing goals, while lamenting the timing of a setback for Federico Bernardeschi.

“Berna was growing and it’s a shame about the injury, it happened just as he was finding his rhythm. When he regains sharpness, he has the quality to shoot with more precision. Goals from wingers are important.”

Despite the victory, Italiano stressed that Bologna’s recent struggles cannot be erased by one result alone.

“In a month and a half we lost our ability to score regularly and to limit opponents. We abandoned that. We need three, four, five results with strong performances. We want to progress in Europe and stay in a competition we care deeply about. Before saying we are out of this period, we need consistency in both performances and results.”

On whether the team had lost momentum or direction, he added:

“There are moments that turn negatively. We faced teams in great form, had red cards and mistakes all at once. We didn’t manage those situations gradually. Our true value isn’t the first place we had after Udine, but it’s much higher than what we’ve shown recently. Playing with more freedom helps, we can express ourselves even better than today.”

The win offers relief, but for Bologna the real test now lies in sustaining this level over the coming weeks.

Tensions between Inter Milan and Juventus remain high following the controversial refereeing incidents in last night’s 3-2 victory for the Nerazzurri.

In the hours after the match, John Elkann, CEO of Exor, reportedly contacted Gabriele Gravina to express Juventus’ dissatisfaction with the officiating, as per TuttoMercatoWeb.

From the Bianconeri perspective, the handling of key moments during the game was deemed unacceptable.

In particular, the moment that saw Pierre Kalulu given a second yellow card after an apparent dive by Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni.

Gravina, president of the FIGC, has since held discussions with refereeing chief Gianluca Rocchi to address the specific incidents.

Inter-Juventus drama adds to unstable FIGC & AIA problems

The situation unfolds against a backdrop of instability within the AIA.

The referees’ body is awaiting a definitive ruling from the Federal Court of Appeal regarding its president, Antonio Zappi, who received a 13-month suspension at first instance.

The appeal verdict is scheduled for February 18. Should the suspension be upheld, the AIA could face the prospect of being placed under temporary administration.

FIGC president Gravina is also understood to have raised broader concerns with Rocchi, particularly regarding repeated simulations during Inter-Juventus.

According to FIGC sources, such behaviour risks influencing referees and increases the likelihood of mistakes, while also damaging the image of Italian football.

There was further emphasis on the potential benefits of broader use of VAR and technological support in situations involving clear and obvious errors.

The matter will be evaluated through the appropriate institutional channels.

Weston McKennie is once again at the centre of discussions at Juventus, with renewal talks ongoing but complicated by the midfielder’s wage demands.

Now a regular starter and one of the side’s driving forces, McKennie has turned what once looked like an uncertain future into a position of strength.

After summer rumours suggested he could be sacrificed, the American not only stayed but has become one of the most reliable figures under Luciano Spalletti. A new personal best for goals in a single season has only strengthened his standing inside the club.

McKennie demands double his salary to renew with Juventus

Juventus would like to accelerate negotiations, yet the talks are far from straightforward.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, McKennie’s entourage continue to request roughly double his current salary, a figure that has stalled progress over the past 18 months.

The midfielder currently earns between €2.5m and €3m per season including bonuses, most of which he has consistently triggered. The club are prepared to offer an increase, but not at the level being sought by his representatives.

After tying down Kenan Yildiz to a new deal, Juventus view McKennie as one of their next priorities.

However, time is becoming a factor with his contract edging closer to expiry. Interest remains strong.

In the United States he is a marketable figure, while several European clubs are monitoring the situation in case he becomes available on a free transfer this summer.

Former West Ham and Aston Villa midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker has said that the red-card incident in last night’s Derby d’Italia is ‘not good for the game.’

Juventus defender Pierre Kalulu was sent off after receiving a second yellow card after making minimal contact with his arm with Inter’s Alessandro Bastoni.

Bastoni went down theatrically and the referee had no option but to award Kalulu a second yellow. As VAR cannot currently intervene with yellow cards, the dismissal stood and Inter managed to win the game 3-2.

Reo-Coker on Bastoni & Kalulu incident: ‘Too much cheating & diving in Serie A’

Speaking as a pundit on CBS Sports Golazo after the game, Reo-Coker said:

“Too many players in Serie A right now are cheating with the diving, it’s not good for the game and it’s not good for the future generations watching the game.”

He dismissed the suggestion that coaches should be allowed one ‘challenge’ per game, saying the trust needs to be put in the referees.

Therefore, the former midfielder implied that it is down to the players to start behaving more responsibly, as much as it is for the referees to do their job.

“It’s not good for the game and it’s not good for the generation watching.”

Nigel Reo-Coker calls for protecting the integrity of the game in Serie A pic.twitter.com/VI3QCsl5EP

— CBS Sports Golazo (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 14, 2026