Gianluca Rocchi, Serie A’s referee designator, admitted that Federico La Penna was “clearly wrong” to show Pierre Kalulu a second yellow card during Juventus’ 3-2 defeat at Inter Milan on Saturday, and issued an apology for the incident.

Kalulu was dismissed after Inter’s Alessandro Bastoni fell to the ground and immediately appealed to the referee, claiming that Kalulu had grabbed his shirt. Television replays, however, showed there was no contact between the players. Juventus went on to lose the match with 10 men, leaving Inter eight points clear at the top of the Serie A table.

“We are very sorry about the incident, about La Penna’s decision, which was clearly wrong, and about the fact that VAR could not be used to rectify it,” Rocchi told ANSA. “La Penna is mortified and we are close to him, but I have to tell you the truth that he is not the only one who made a mistake, because yesterday there was clear simulation.”

Kalulu protested his red card by making the VAR gesture, but league protocols prevent the use of VAR for yellow card decisions, including second yellows that lead to sendings-off.

Following the match, Juventus coach Luciano Spalletti and sporting director Giorgio Chiellini confronted La Penna in the tunnel.

“Something completely unacceptable happened today, it doesn’t matter whether it happens to us or someone else, and from tomorrow presumably VAR will have to change, because it is not acceptable that so many errors keep happening even in big games like this,” Chiellini told Sky Italia.