Journalist Federica Zille has come to the defence of Bianconeri head coach Luciano Spalletti, who kissed her stay on TV whereas attempting to make his level throughout a post-match interview after in Serie A.
Why did Spalletti kiss a reporter after Juventus 2-2 Lazio?
Through the 2-2 draw between Juventus and Lazio, Teun Koopmeiners noticed his opening aim dominated out by VAR on account of Khephren Thuram standing in an offside place. There was additionally, nonetheless, an obvious foul on Juve’s Juan Cabal by Biancocelesti defender Mario Gila within the build-up, which refereeing analyst Luca Marelli argued ought to have been a penalty.
Commercial
This led Spalletti to debate the technicalities of contact within the penalty space throughout his after full-time.
TURIN, ITALY – FEBRUARY 08: Juventus FC head coach Luciano Spalletti appears on in the course of the Serie A match between Juventus FC and SS Lazio at Allianz Stadium on February 8, 2026 in Turin, Italy. (Photograph by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Photos)
“The referee can interpret it the way in which he desires, as a result of the defender is imprudent when going into that sliding sort out, so he takes a danger. I’m not right here to say if it’s a penalty or not. He might’ve run again onto the ball, however I might take a wider view,”
Commercial
“Everybody now goes to protest concerning the guidelines, however there’s all the time an interpretation. The strain of a step on foot, handball that no one sees within the stadium however they zoom in with the digicam, it’s all open to interpretation. You can’t generalise that each contact is a penalty.”
Spalletti then turned again to an incident in a earlier when a penalty was awarded for handball that even Ederson, who had made the cross, hadn’t seen.
“I by no means talked about referees when choices went towards me or in favour. Within the sport towards Atalanta the VAR known as the referee to view the handball a minute and a half later, when no one together with Raffaele Palladino who was proper subsequent to me on the touchline, had any thought what this was even for.
“The principles are too inflexible proper now, it’s the rigidity that I discover to be the issue. If no one even realises it hit a hand, who is broken by that? The analysts hold saying ‘there was contact,’ however that doesn’t imply something, does it? Might I kiss you, right here, that is contact,” when giving the feminine interviewer, Zille, a peck on the cheek.
“It’s about context, contact isn’t the identical factor as impression. There’ll all the time be problem if there are guidelines the place each contact of the hand is a penalty, each step on foot is a penalty. That is what VAR is for, you possibly can consider the context in its totality.
Commercial
“If we persist with the principles, then that’s undoubtedly a penalty, as a result of Gila goes right into a sliding sort out and takes accountability for that gesture when he doesn’t get the ball.”
Zille defends Spalletti after TV kiss: ‘Exaggerated’
BERGAMO, ITALY – FEBRUARY 05: Luciano Spalletti, Head Coach of Juventus, appears on previous to the Coppa Italia Quarter-Ultimate match between Atalanta BC and Juventus FC on the New Stability Enviornment on February 05, 2026 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photograph by Marco Luzzani/Getty Photos)
Zille, who was on responsibility with DAZN for the Juventus-Lazio match, has since come out to defend Spalletti, following some accusations of improper behaviour throughout his post-match interview.
Commercial
Chatting with FantacalcioTV (by way of ), Zille stated: “There was no type of malice in Spalletti’s gesture. He needed to exemplify what he was saying, that there’s a distinction between contact and impression.
“I do know Spalletti. Many say ‘he wouldn’t have executed that had it been a person’. No, he most likely would have touched or nudged a person to say that it was simply contact and never a foul.
“I wouldn’t like for individuals to speak about malice or a scarcity of respect on this state of affairs, for me as a lady, as a journalist or as an expert.
“I’ve learn feedback which have talked about the phrase ‘harassment’. I’ve discovered that to be actually exaggerated, even perhaps incorrect as a result of harassment is a critical matter. And as a lady, I really feel strongly about this challenge, however that’s all of the extra motive to have readability of thoughts and provides the precise steadiness to this kind of factor.”