Second category player in Palermo hits referee, receives 3-year sports ban

Last Updated: November 26, 2023

The police chief of Palermo has issued a Daspo measure against an amateur football player, deemed responsible for assaulting the referee who had expelled him during a Second Category football match held on November 19th at a sports field in the city. The athlete, after receiving a first warning for a foul, was again cautioned at the 18th minute of the second half, and subsequently sent off the field. The young player, after freeing himself from teammates trying to restrain him, struck the referee in the face. The game was interrupted as the referee fell to the ground. The Daspo has been issued for the next three years. The preventive measure prohibits the recipient, both as a player and as a spectator, from accessing sports facilities in the national territory and other EU member states for all football events, including widely publicized friendly matches, in the Italian Serie A, B, and C championships organized and regulated by the Football Federation, including those related to Futsal and amateur national league. International and youth competitions are also prohibited.