The wife of former Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius has responded to the accusation she had ‘put her a** in the face’ of an old broadcasting colleague.
Television presenter Diletta Leotta has worked on the touchline as a host for DAZN’s Serie A coverage in her native Italy.
Leotta married Karius in 2024 but was recently accused by her ex-colleague Federico Balzaretti’s wife of ‘putting her a** in his face’.
Balzaretti’s wife, ballerina Eleonora Abbagnato, claimed a ‘beautiful woman’ with ‘curves’ had made her ‘jealous’ with the scandalous alleged act – without specifically naming Leotta.
Now later confirmed on Italian TV that her comments were targeted at Leotta – and that she has previously warned her over her behaviour.
‘Yes, that woman was Diletta Leotta. I love my husband like the first day and I’m jealous,’ Abbagnato told Storie di donne al bivio via Chi magazine.
Diletta Leotta, the wife of Loris Karius, has responded to the accusation she had ‘put her a** in the face’ of an old broadcasting colleague
Ballerina and creative director Eleonora Abbagnato implied that the television presenter had prompted a jealous rage in her
Leotta and former Juventus and Roma star Federico Balzaretti previously worked together for DAZN’s Serie A coverage
‘In Milan, some time ago, I happened to meet Leotta who, working at Dazn with Federico, seemed to have excessive familiarity with him.
‘I immediately took off and introduced myself in a very formal way: “Pleased to meet you, I’m his wife”.
‘Diletta has those curves that I don’t have, but it was the memes that were circulating on the web, depicting her and my husband in love, that drove me crazy.
‘I respect my husband, I trust him, he loves me like when we met, but we are so good together also because I am very careful about anything that could alter our understanding.
‘Between her and Federico there has never been anything other than work, but Diletta is an exuberant woman, sure of her charm and I wanted to make things clear immediately. The wife is me and that’s it.’
Two weeks after Abbagnato’s claim, Leotta has responded to her comments by declaring ‘Malice is in the eyes of the beholder’.
‘I have always worked with great professionalism and lightness, because lightness is also needed,’ Leotta added to Striscia la notizia, a satirical Italian programme.
Leotta added that she would now invite both Abbagnato and Balzaretti to appear on her podcast.
Abbagnato had alleged Leotta had been ‘throwing her a**’ in his face and she said ‘to make things clear’ with her over her ‘exuberant’ behaviour
Abbagnato and Balzaretti have been married since 2011 and share four children – two from the ex-defender’s previous marriage
Leotta responded to the accusation by saying ‘malice is in the eyes of the beholder’, before inviting both Abbagnato and Balzaretti to appear on her podcast
The 33-year-old married former Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius in Sicily last summer
‘This is how we create a beautiful network between women,’ Leotta said.
‘We must be empathetic and supportive of each other. They have a wonderful family: I can’t wait to see them and do a nice interview.’
Leotta made the comments as she was presented with an eleventh Tapiro d’oro award. The award is handed out by the satirical programme to celebrities who suffer misfortune or an embarrassing episode in public.
Leotta remains a lynchpin of the channel’s Serie A coverage, despite her husband – with whom she shares daughter Aria – playing for German side Schalke.
Karius admitted at his unveiling that his wife was less than happy with his choice of club after leaving Newcastle in 2024.
‘Of course, she was hoping a little for Italy,’ the shot-stopper said. ‘I explained it to her. She wishes me the best in my career and said she is fully behind it.
‘Milan is not far away. We can find ways to solve it. She has a lot to do too, so we will both be commuting back and forth a bit.
‘If your partner is also in the public eye, it’s clear that something will be reported. But I never actively pushed myself into it. For me, the sport was always the priority.’
Karius and Leotta married in June of last year in Sicily, with the TV presenter frequently sharing snapshots of their relationship on social media.