Paolo Bonolis on Bastoni: "An Ordinary Incident, But Everything is Exaggerated Now"

In a lengthy interview with Sky Sport, renowned TV host and passionate Inter fan Paolo Bonolis shared his thoughts on football. Speaking about the Italian national team, he humorously remarked, "We're all Gattuso, maybe even aesthetically better! (laughs). Just kidding, Rino! I'll be supporting the national team tomorrow evening – who would miss it?"

Will Italy qualify for the World Cup?

"We absolutely must qualify for the World Cup for national glory; it's essential after missing the last two editions. I believe we can and should make it, even though football can be unpredictable. The other national teams lack the history, professional quality, and technical prowess of a squad Italy can field. If we can't overcome these two teams, then it's right not to go at all. I truly believe we can and will succeed. There's a strong desire to be there, especially for many who have never played in a World Cup. We have new young talent, and it's great to see a generational change taking place. These youngsters deserve the chance to win in a national team jersey, distinct from their club colours. With a united squad, Italy is superior."

Is Bastoni recovered? How is he?

"I hope he recovers... from a human perspective, he certainly has. We live in an era where everything is exaggerated: everything is either incredible or non-existent, extraordinary or a complete failure. We've lost the sense of the ordinary. What happened in that game (Inter-Juventus) was a fairly common occurrence in football matches – a simulation. It happens, he did it, many players do it... The current media landscape, especially in such a partisan environment like football, doesn't allow anyone to make a mistake without immediately facing intense scrutiny on social media, in newspapers, on radio, and TV. However, he is a grown man now; he understands this is the current era, and it's an objective problem of our time, not a personal failing of the individual."