AS Roma’s Bryan Cristante has fallen victim to Italy’s strict ban on taking God’s name in vain on the pitch, picking up a one-match ban for blasphemy, Serie A announced on Monday.
The 25-year-old Italy international midfielder was sanctioned for swearing after he conceded an own goal during Roma’s 5-1 win over Bologna on Sunday.
“[Cristante] pronounced a blasphemous expression in the 23rd minute of the first half,” Serie A said in a statement without specifying the nature of the offending remark. “The player in question was clearly framed by the television footage while uttering a blasphemous expression that is identifiable and audible without margin of reasonable doubt.”
Photo: EPA-EFE
As a result Cristante is to miss tomorrow’s league game against Torino in Rome.
Since 2010, the Italian Football Federation have taken disciplinary action against several players and coaches heard disrespecting God or the sacred.
Former Italy and Juventus captain Gianluigi Buffon has in the past been forced to apologize for uttering the word “Dio” (God), although he once claimed he had said “Zio” (uncle).
Udinese’s Italian international Rolando Mandragora also previously picked up a one-match ban, while AC Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma escaped punishment because of “lack of absolute certainty” over what he had said.
According to the Italian Football Federation’s rules, players who show T-shirts with personal messages to their family, or which make a reference to their religious beliefs, would also be punished.
Bologna on Thursday advanced past Empoli to reach their first Coppa Italia final in more than half a century. Thijs Dallinga’s 87th-minute header earned Bologna a 2-1 win and his side advanced 5-1 on aggregate. Giovanni Fabbian opened the scoring for Bologna with a header seven minutes in. Then Viktor Kovalenko equalized for Empoli in the 30th minute by turning in a rebound to finish off a counterattack. Bologna won the first leg 3-0. In the May 14 final in Rome, Bologna are to face AC Milan, who eliminated city rivals Inter 4-1 on aggregate following a 3-0 win on Wednesday. Bologna last reached the
The Minnesota Timberwolves, with so many promising performances spoiled by late mistakes fresh in their memory bank, sure timed this strong finish well. Jaden McDaniels scored a career playoff-high 30 points and spearheaded Minnesota’s stifling defense on an ailing Luka Doncic, and the Timberwolves beat the Los Angeles Lakers 116-104 to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference first-round series in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Friday night. “Jaden never looks tired. He looks like he could play 48 minutes,” said teammate Anthony Edwards, who had 29 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Julius Randle added 22 points for the Wolves, who outscored
Inter’s defense of their Italian Serie A title was hit with a setback on Sunday as they lost 1-0 at home to AS Roma, while Scott McTominay netted a brace as SSC Napoli beat Torino 2-0 to go top of the table. No fixtures were played on Friday or Saturday because of the funeral of Pope Francis in Rome, meaning the full round of Serie A matches took place on Sunday and yesterday. Matias Soule’s first-half strike for Roma knocked Inter off top spot earlier in the day before new Napoli opened up a three-point buffer with victory in Sunday’s
Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa yesterday set a women’s only world record of 2 hours, 15 minutes, 50 seconds as she won the London Marathon, while Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe put a star-studded men’s field to the sword. For 28-year-old Assefa it was ample compensation for finishing runner-up in London and the Paris Olympics last year — especially as bitter Dutch rival, the Ethiopia-born Sifan Hassan, finished third. Assefa dropped Kenya’s Joyciline Jepkosgei as the race, played out in blazing sunshine and with thousands lining the route, entered its business end. She came home almost three minutes clear of the Kenyan. Hassan, who beat her in
RSS