REGGIO EMILIA – A penalty awarded, a slap to the face, and the match ended there. It happened during the Second Category match between Real Dragone and Cerredolese, when in the 79th minute the Modena referee awarded the home team a second penalty. At that point, Cerredolese's captain, a thirty-year-old from Sassuolo, approached the referee and punched him in the face.
The gesture prompted the immediate suspension of the match for safety reasons. Up until that point, according to reports, the match had been conducted without any particular tension. Cerredolese was down 2-1, and a defeat would have complicated their race for the top spot in the standings. The incident now risks serious consequences: the result could be ruled 3-0 for Real Dragone, while the captain faces a severe suspension. The sports judge's decision is expected on Wednesday, based on the referee's report.
"Our player made a mistake," explains the coach and president of Cerredolese, "he claims he was provoked by the referee during the match, but that doesn't justify such a reaction at all." These words distance themselves from an act that was destined to leave a lasting impression.
This is the second assault on a referee in the city within a week. On February 8th, a Regional Division 2 basketball game between Go Basket 2018 and Campagnola was suspended after a player punched the referee. In that case, the player received a four-year suspension and the coach a six-month ban.
Changes and revisions to this article
- Article updated on 16/02/2026 at 11:39 PM - Title typo corrected
Source EDITORIAL TEAM
Comments (1)
The situation described in the article is truly worrying and makes us reflect on how sport should be. Violent behavior should not be tolerated, but it's also important that referees are trained to manage tensions during matches.