Italy defender Leonardo Bonucci was given a ticking off for a late night tweet about his winning goal for Juventus in Sunday’s stormy top-of-the-table match against Roma.
Bonucci published his tweet shortly after midnight from within Italy’s training camp at Coverciano, several hours after coach Antonio Conte had spoken of the importance of keeping club rivalries out of the national team.
The 27-year-old wrote “Rinse your mouth” followed by the hash tags “to the end Forza Juventus”, “winning is the only thing that counts”, “3 points” and “enjoy it now.”
Italian media said that Conte, well-known for his ferocious dressing-room tantrums which include throwing objects at players, was livid about the incident.
“Leo has made a mistake and he knows he has made a mistake. We accept his apologies but it can’t happen again, with him or anyone else,” team manager Gabriele Oriali told a press conference.
“It was spontaneous and unfortunate.
“We repeat that once the players walk through the gates of Coverciano, any tensions between clubs must be forgotten.
“There’s a non-written rule, and there’s no need to write it down, but it exists and the coach has talked about it from the start,” he added.
“It would be better to avoid using social networks, especially to continue talking about a club match. At certain times, it’s better to switch off.
“When you come in here, there is just one shirt and it unites everyone and all the supporters.
“Anyone who is called up has to adapt to that.”
Bonucci, sitting next to Oriali, apologised after his public dressing-down.
“I absolutely did not want to start a row,” said the central defender, whose 86th minute goal gave Juventus a 3-2 win in a game which featured three penalties, two red cards and the dismissal of the Roma coach.
“I have the greatest respect for the supporters of Roma, the players, the club and their general manager Walter Sabatini,” Bonucci said.
“Anyone who follows me knows that my way of celebrating is to dedicate the win to my friends. I didn’t want to attack anyone.”
Bonucci is one of seven Juventus players in the squad alongside Gianluigi Buffon, Giorgio Chiellini, Angelo Ogbonna, Andrea Pirlo, Claudio Marchisio and Sebastian Giovinco.
Roma have two players, Alessandro Florenzi and Mattia Destro while their midfielder Daniele De Rossi is missing through injury.
The two sides have been at loggerheads since the game, with Roma captain Francesco Totti claiming that Juventus always win “by hook or by crook.”