MILAN – In a stunning development that has sent shockwaves through Italian soccer, Alessandro Bastoni, the starting center-back for both Serie A powerhouse Inter Milan and the Italian men’s national team, is currently facing formal investigation over allegations of child prostitution. The probe forms one strand of a broader, ongoing investigation led by the Milan Public Prosecutor’s Office into a suspected criminal ring that provides paid escort services.
Prosecutors have formally summoned Bastoni to appear for questioning this Friday, according to official documents related to the inquiry. The core allegation against the 27-year-old player claims he paid for sexual activity with a minor back in June 2020. The individual involved was 17 years old at the time of the alleged incident; under Italian law, any paid sexual encounter with a minor qualifies as child prostitution by legal definition.
Salvatore Scuto, Bastoni’s legal representative, has issued a forceful denial of all claims against his client. Speaking to reporters, Scuto stated that the athlete is deeply distressed by the allegations, adding: “I can rule out that he ever engaged in paid sexual relations, let alone with minors.”
Leading Italian sports daily Gazzetta dello Sport has confirmed that the underage individual at the center of the allegation has already been interviewed by investigators. The outlet reports that while the young woman has acknowledged staying overnight at Bastoni’s residential property, she has explicitly denied any sexual encounter with the soccer star.
The latest controversy caps a turbulent stretch of personal and professional challenges for Bastoni. Just a few years ago, he was a key part of the Italian squad that won the 2020 UEFA European Championship, but his national team fortunes took a major downturn during a decisive 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying playoff match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Bastoni was sent off early in that contest, and Italy eventually lost the match in a penalty shootout, failing to qualify for the World Cup for the third consecutive tournament.
More recently, Bastoni was the target of widespread online harassment from fans and critics after a high-profile incident in a February 14 league match between Inter and its long-time rival Juventus. In that game, Bastoni was accused of deliberately diving to draw a red card for a Juventus player, a tactic that ultimately worked for Inter but sparked fierce backlash across social media, with the player and his family receiving widespread abuse online.
As of this report, neither Inter Milan nor the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has issued an official statement on the ongoing investigation against Bastoni.