Italian reporter denies harassment claims after Osimhen's former coach KISSED her on live TV

An Italian sports journalist has robustly dismissed accusations of harassment following a surprise on-air kiss from Juventus manager Luciano Spalletti during a post-match interview.

Spalletti, who coached Victor Osimhen at Napoli from 2021 to 2023, guided the Super Eagles striker to a breakout season with 31 goals, helping the club clinch their first Scudetto in 33 years before departing for the national team job.

Their successful partnership, marked by high-octane attacking football, has left a lasting legacy, with Osimhen crediting Spalletti's tactical vision for transforming him into Serie A's deadliest forward before his blockbuster move to Turkish giants Galatasaray.

The incident, which sparked online debate, unfolded after the Bianconeri's 2-2 draw with Lazio on Sunday, 8 February in Serie A, prompting Federica Zille to defend the gesture as a harmless illustration rather than misconduct.

The 66-year-old Spalletti, known for his passionate touchline demeanour, leaned in to peck 35-year-old DAZN reporter Zille on the shoulder while debating football's VAR rules.

Amid a discussion on player contact, he quipped: "May I kiss you? Here, this is contact." The moment, captured in a viral clip shared on X on 8 February, divided opinions, with some branding it inappropriate.

Spalletti, who took the Juventus helm earlier this season after Igor Tudor's dismissal, was mid-rant about rigid officiating when he made his point.

Responding to Zille's query on a controversial Lazio penalty, the former Napoli boss, who guided the Partenopei to the 2022-23 Scudetto argued as reported by Daily Mail: "The rules are too rigid right now... Analysts keep saying 'there was contact', but that doesn’t mean anything, does it?"

He contrasted mere "contact" with a "foul", suggesting he might have "elbowed" a male interviewer to emphasise the latter. The Turin outfit, fourth in Serie A after the stalemate, have endured a turbulent campaign under Spalletti's stewardship.

Zille, an Italian reporter who has 68,000 Instagram followers, wasted no time quashing the online claims.

On Fantacalcio TV, she insisted: "There was no malice in Spalletti's gesture. He wanted to illustrate what he was saying... I found it truly exaggerated, if not downright incorrect, to use the word 'harassment' in these cases, because harassment is a serious matter."

As a woman attuned to such issues, she urged clarity: "We need to be clear-headed and give it the weight it deserves."

The backlash, including harassment labels, echoes broader scrutiny of gender dynamics in Italian football, though Zille – who has interviewed Spalletti before, including last year's Turin derby – framed it as professional camaraderie. No formal complaints have surfaced, and DAZN has not commented.