Some Juventus fans angry at Locatelli’s dinner with Inter and Italy teammates
Italy beat Northern Ireland 2-0 in the World Cup play-off semi-final against Northern Ireland on Thursday night, and will now be tasked with playing an away match against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday night as they look to secure a place in the 2026 final tournament.
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The Azzurri players had a night off on Friday, the day after Northern Ireland’s victory, and several Gennaro Gattuso players were photographed dining together at the Ristorante Tullio, near the Italian Coverciano training base in Florence.
Many Inter players were in attendance: Pio Esposito, Federico Dimarco, Nicolo Barella and Alessandro Bastoni were photographed, along with Juventus captain Locatelli and goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, who has been heavily linked with a possible move from Tottenham Hotspur to the Nerazzurri this summer.
However, the fact that Locatelli decided to sit down and agree to be photographed with several players from Inter, Juventus’ staunchest rival, has angered several Bianconeri fans on social media.
Tensions between the two clubs have been particularly intense in the last two months following the fiery Derby d’Italia between the two teams in February, when Alessandro Bastoni escaped punishment for diving and instead passionately celebrated the incorrect decision to send off Pierre Kalulu from Juve.
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One X fan wrote: “Today’s Juventus is perfectly represented by its captain. After difficult seasons, he was regaining his place in the hearts of the fans. Then you see him in a photo with ‘those’ guys who took you for a ride just a month ago.”
“What kind of captain?” questioned one follower. Another wrote: “And this is the captain of Juventus FC. Get out of here you piece of human shit.”
TURIN, ITALY – DECEMBER 2: Manuel Locatelli (L) and Pierre Kalulu of Juventus acknowledge the fans after the victory in the Coppa Italia match between Udinese Calcio and Juventus at Allianz Stadium on December 2, 2025 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)
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Another Juventus fan called Locatelli’s association with Inter players a “crime of friendship.”
Unsurprisingly, some Inter fans have taken the opportunity to goad some of their rival supporters, with comments such as “the worst player in the world surrounded by the strongest” or, more kindly, “Welcome to Inter 2026-27, Locatelli.”
But not all Juventus fans agree with Locatelli’s photo. Some consider the suggestion that their captain is some kind of “traitor” because he went to dinner with some of his international teammates ridiculous.
“You know fans like you are the reason we haven’t won anything in years,” a fan responded to one of the aforementioned posts.
TURIN, ITALY – DECEMBER 2: Manuel Locatelli of Juventus celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the Coppa Italia match between Udinese Calcio and Juventus at Allianz Stadium on December 2, 2025 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)
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“It’s difficult to find a more stupid post than this, but there you have it. Another example of how a part of the Juventus fans have sunk even further in recent years without victories,” added another.
“The next time they are in camp he will only talk to Cambiaso and Gatti to improve the atmosphere in the locker room. But poor Kean will end up talking to the walls because he has no Fiorentina teammates,” an Inter fan jokingly suggested.