Alessandro Bastoni will be available for Italy’s final Nations League group-stage match against Belgium on Sunday after UEFA incorrectly reported that he had been booked during the 3-1 win over France.
The defender was initially listed as having received a yellow card in the second half of Thursday’s match. That would have ruled him out of the away fixture against Belgium because of the competition’s suspension rules.
However, the FIGC has confirmed that Bastoni was not booked. The card recorded against him was instead shown to Davide Frattesi. Neither player will serve a suspension on Sunday.
Players in UEFA Nations League matches are suspended for one game when they reach every second yellow card in the competition. That means bans are triggered after a player’s second, fourth and sixth bookings.
Bastoni was among five players in Italy’s squad for the France match who had already been carrying one yellow card. Gianluigi Donnarumma, Nicolo Fagioli, Antonio Vergara and Gianluca Scamacca were the other players in that group.
Moise Kean, Daniel Maldini, Gianluca Mancini and Matteo Ruggeri had also been booked earlier in the Nations League, but none of the four was included in Italy’s matchday squad against France.
Pio Esposito was booked during the victory in Milan, but it was his first yellow card of the Nations League campaign. He is therefore also eligible to face Belgium on Sunday evening.
The correction removes the immediate concern over Bastoni’s availability as Italy prepare for their final group-stage fixture.
Peter Young is a Senior Reporter with Football Italia.
