Of course he should have ignored it instead of getting suckered into a red card. But that doesn't change the fact that the Italian(s) was a total piece of garbage, and it sounds like you are, too. I've never liked the obscene trash-talking as bait tactic, and of course have zero respect for anyone who has to resort to it to compensate for their inadequacies. Machiavellian, but still morally repugnant.
You can't control the guy on the other side of the ball. You can only control yourself. If you are easily goaded, then you hand your opponent a weapon to use against you.
If your opponent hands you an advantage, it is incumbent on you to use it. Otherwise you are limiting your effectiveness.
If you can't stand the heat, stay off the blacktop. This isn't kids playing HORSE. This is professional sports. As I said -- the NFL and the NBA have a heck of a lot more trash talk than this rather mild rejoinder.
Only someone who is a girly-man would overreact to this. Someone with a solid sense of their manhood (and their Mom) would laugh this off.