Chievo coach banned for blasphemy

[Strontium]

No word yet on whether dissing the Easter bunny carries a similar sanction

 

Italian coach banned for taking God's name in vain | Football | The Guardian

 

Italian coach banned for taking God's name in vain

 

Chievo's coach was not the only one caught out; one of his players, Michele Marcolini, was deemed to have said 'God' as he left the field after a red card

 

John Hooper in Rome

guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 2 March 2010 20.20 GMT

 

Domenico "Mimmo" Di Carlo could not be said to have emblazoned his name on the annals of Italian football – until, that is, last Sunday in the third minute of the second half of Chievo's 2-1 victory over Cagliari in Serie A.

 

It was at this moment, according to the disciplinary watchdog of the Italian football league, that the Verona club's coach "proffered a blasphemous expression" that was to make him the first victim of a zero-tolerance policy on irreverence.

 

Di Carlo, whose side narrowly avoided relegation last season, was banned from the touchline for a game after Sunday's outburst. The Italian federation, Federcalcio, decided last month that the time had come for disciplinary action to be taken against players and coaches heard taking God's name in vain.

 

The president, Giancarlo Abete, declared it would "intervene with official decisions to make clear that blasphemy is within the definition of 'offensive, insulting or abusive language' in the rules [that warrant sending-off]".

 

Chievo's coach was not the only one caught out; one of his players, Michele Marcolini, was deemed to have said "God" as he left the field after a red card. After scrutiny of TV footage, however, the league judge, Gianpaolo Tosel, was convinced Marcolini had deployed "a slang expression used in Lombardy and [the region around Venice] with a crude reference to 'Diaz' and not 'Dio'" – although no one on the pitch was called Diaz.

[hamstrung]

Dio is Italian for God?

 

Ace

 

[YOUTUBE]P7eqxg92YG0[/YOUTUBE]

[Kurt]

Dio is Italian for God?

 

Ace

 

[YOUTUBE]P7eqxg92YG0[/YOUTUBE]

 

I have that album on vinyl. Sweet memories.

 

Must spread around before repping again!

[Horus]

No word yet on whether dissing the Easter bunny carries a similar sanction

 

The easter bunny is pagan so it's fine. Don't fuck with the zombie overlord though!!

[a stoner]

The easter bunny is pagan so it's fine. Don't fuck with the zombie overlord though!!

 

Catholasism has pagan roots though so it's a valid point.

[Horus]

Catholasism has pagan roots though so it's a valid point.

 

The whole Jeebus myth is basically pagan sun worshipping. However, The Christians don't like accept that little fact, which is why you could curse the name of "Ēostre" in Italian football without retribution. Mention zombie h christ though, and well, that's a different matter.

[Steve Holt]

I tend to forget that Italy is a country full of moronic religious zealoty cunts.

[Pdool]

Hopes to overturn the ban are fading after Italian FA review panel is chosen.