Leonardo Bonucci replied to critics after he threw a female fan off the Italy team bus, insisting she had been ‘told repeatedly’ not to get on board.
The incident went viral after she posted the video on TikTok of her on the bus filming the rather bemused looking players, until Bonucci got up out of his seat and ordered her to leave.
She had written on the video: ‘POV when the coach invites you to get on board, but Bonucci throws you out.’
Some commenters had criticised the Juventus defender’s reaction as being rude, so he took to Instagram Stories to explain his side of the story.
“As the captain and faced with certain accusations, I wish to clarify that the young lady who got on the bus had repeatedly been told off by the staff, seeing as she several times tried to get on the bus without authorisation, let alone from the coach.
“She was repeatedly asked not to get on board, having already taken her picture with practically all the players at the exit of the stadium in the mixed zone.
“Ignoring the rules, she got on anyway and started filming what was happening on board. The team bus is like the locker room, a location where access to strangers is absolutely forbidden.
“If we are in a world that fights for the right to privacy, then we players – even if we are public figures – still have a right to ours, regardless of results or how the season is going.
“The importance of support from the fans is not the issue in this situation. It’s about respect for the rules, for authority and last but not least for human beings.
“I don’t mind being considered the bad guy, but I do mind being treated like someone who kicks a person out for no reason.”
What Bonucci did was …..
the RIGHT thing !!!! She TOTALLY deserved that !!!!!
These tik tok leeches need to be eradicated.
Not often I defend Bonucci but he did the right thing here.
She could have been armed with a weapon for goodness sake!! It’s an sad indictment on modern society when people are twisting matters and blaming Bonucci when he should never have been placed in this situation in the first place. Madness.