Few days after leaving the Continassa training ground, Leonardo Bonucci returns to Juventus as his international break was cut short, according to ILBianconero.
The veteran defender was handed the captain’s armband by Roberto Mancini as Italy hosted Spain for the UEFA Nations League Semi Final fixture at the San Siro Stadium.
Nonetheless, the 34-year-old earned a first yellow card early in the match for saying too much to the referee, and was later handed his marching orders for an elbow on Sergio Busquets.
The center back left his teammates with a numerical disadvantage before the end of the first half, and was considered to be the main culprit by the Italian media as the Azzurri lost the match 1-2.
Ferran Torres did the damage with a first half brace, but Lorenzo Pellegrini grabbed one back late in the match thanks to Federico Chiesa’s swift counter attack.
Mancini’s men will now play for the third place of the competition against the loser between France and Belgium who will lock horns at the Allianz Stadium on Thursday night.
However, Bonucci won’t be eligible to play due the red card. Thus, the national team sanctioned his early return to Turin.
Max Allegri will surely appreciate the gift, as it would help him in his preparations for the clash against Roma on October 17.