The dramatic final penalty miss in Inter’s 2-1 win over Verona continues on social media, as Federico Dimarco apologises for his reaction and Thomas Henry hits back at death threats.
The game was heading towards a 2-2 draw at the 100th minute when Matteo Darmian caught Giangiacomo Magnani for a spot-kick deep into stoppages.
However, Henry – who had already scored the temporary equaliser for Verona just 45 seconds after coming off the bench – fired his penalty onto the upright.
The tension extended to long after the match, as Inter wing-back Dimarco apologised to his former club for his instinctive reaction.
“I celebrated? Yes, I celebrated and a lot too. Without insulting anyone, without ugly gestures, I celebrated for the victory, for the ‘scare’ and avoiding an upset,” wrote Dimarco on Instagram.
“Sport is wonderful also because of this. Unfortunately, it is also severe and cruel on those who are on the other side. And I am sorry if this joy exploded instinctively right in front of Thomas Henry, who had just missed a penalty, and I celebrated in front of him. It was instinct, I am honest.
“Some might say it was not a nice thing to do and they are probably right, but I did not want to offend anyone. In fact, at the final whistle, before hugging my own teammates, I went to hug him. I did the same in the locker room with all my ex-teammates.
“Because this is sport. We win, we lose, we celebrate, we cry, and at the end of it all we hug. I tell the moralists to criticise me all they like, but watch everything I do on the field, not just what fits your narrative. Thank you.”
Meanwhile, Henry also took to Instagram after receiving insulting comments, it seems many of them from Hellas Verona supporters.
“To all those who think they know football better than anyone else, who insult my family and make death threats, I hope you can find peace one day in your tiny lives.
“Mistakes are part of sport and so I will continue to work in order to be better than before. One day you win, one day you lose, one day you score, the next you get it wrong, this is my life as a player and I am proud to have scored my second career goal at San Siro after tearing my knee ligaments and starting out as a 15-year-old in the bottom French division.
“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Always with head held high, always move forward, always higher.”
This Inter victory also caused controversy because VAR did not intervene to disallow the Davide Frattesi winner, despite an Alessandro Bastoni elbow on Ondrej Duda in the build-up.