Mutu handed 2-match ban

09.05.2008

FIORENTINA striker, Adrian Mutu, will play no further part in the Serie A season after he was banned for two matches following his sending off in the closing stages against Cagliari on Sunday.

In an incident reminiscent of Wayne Rooney’s famous sending-off against Villarreal in a Champions League clash, Mutu was booked for a foul and then received a second yellow card within seconds after persisting with an array of mindless dissent against the referee.

His side lost the match 2-1, a result which handed AC Milan the initiative in the race for the fourth Champions League spot with just two matches to play, after they secured a memorable victory over rivals Inter with the same score-line.

With only games against strugglers Torino and Parma to come, and following Fiorentina’s UEFA Cup exit at the hands of Rangers, Romanian Mutu’s season is at an end.

Six Livorno players have also received suspensions following the bizarre scenes that took place after their 3-2 defeat to Atalanta at the weekend. The relegation favourites had fought back to level the game at 2-2, before Simone Padoin scored a stoppage time winner.

The incident caused a group of players to chase Padoin and attack him in the tunnel after the game ended, criticising him for scoring a goal he did not need, due to Atalanta’s position right in the middle of the Serie A table.

Alessandro Grandoni was the hardest hit, and he faces five matches on the sidelines, while Emanuele Filippini and Giovanni Pasquale were given three and two match suspensions respectively. Three others, including Simone Pavan have received one-match sanctions.