Inter, Inzaghi and the phone call to the team at half-time with Roma

Inter enter the locker room in difficulty, down by a goal and coming back after Francesco Acerbi’s opener. He returned to the field in the second half and seemed restored with the 110% bonus, equalized with Marcus Thuram and shortly after took the lead with Angeliño’s own goal. The fans’ thoughts are automatic: who knows what lecture from the coach, to shake up the players at half-time… Yes, but it’s a shame that Simone Inzaghi was disqualified and Massimiliano Farris, the trusted assistant, was on the bench. According to federal regulations, the disqualified coach cannot “in any way” direct the team and take part in the event: not even with a phone call – one might deduce – which appears to have taken place.

do I answer or hang up?

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Let’s be clear, it’s a bit of an open secret: these things also happen because it’s semi-impossible to “discover” a quick and harmless call to the changing rooms. In short, getting out of line is customary and this behavior is historically punished if the phone call goes directly to the bench during the match. Alessandro Bastoni, in any case, let slip some details at the end of the match: “We spoke to each other, the coach called us on speakerphone and told us that we just had to be us, who we were until a few days ago, we went down on the pitch and we showed it.” From the press room, Inzaghi was heard encouraging the team by talking about the work of the “fifths”, which therefore confirms the defender’s statements. Instead, he tries to correct Farris: “Inzaghi’s call? There was a communication between the coach who was busy and the intermediary was us, the staff.” No speakerphone, then? Where the truth lies is difficult to establish, as is the opportunity for a regulation in which telephone calls are effectively prohibited in the age of artificial intelligence. The effect, however, was evident: team fired up, victory and lead.