Bastoni avoids suspension despite yellow card confusion during Italy 3-1 France
Alessandro Bastoni will be available for selection when Italy take on Belgium in their final Nations League group stage fixture on Sunday evening as he did not pick up a yellow card during Thursday’s 3-1 victory over France, despite reports from UEFA suggesting that he had.
Bastoni was not booked against France and remains eligible for Belgium vs. Italy
In UEFA Nations League matches, players earn one-match suspensions for every even number of yellow cards they receive, i.e. after every second, fourth and sixth booking.
Bastoni was one of five players in Italy’s matchday squad against France who had been carrying a yellow card, along with Gianluigi Donnarumma, Nicolo Fagioli, Antonio Vergara and Gianluca Scamacca. Moise Kean, Daniel Maldini, Gianluca Mancini and Matteo Ruggeri had also been booked before the France game, but were not in the squad on Thursday night.
There were momentary fears on Thursday night when UEFA reported that Bastoni had been shown a yellow card during the second half of the France victory, which would have earned him a suspension for Sunday’s test away against Belgium.
However, it has since been confirmed by the FIGC that this was an error in reporting and that the yellow card had actually been shown to Davide Frattesi. Neither Bastoni nor Frattesi will be suspended against Belgium.
Pio Esposito was also booked against France, but this was his first yellow card of the Nations League campaign and he also remains eligible to face Belgium on Sunday.
