Torino visited Sicilian Serie A side Catania on Sunday, and
became of the first victims of a stunt that would be better suited
on the playground. In order to block the goalkeeper’s view of a
free kick, three Catania players, including de-robed forward
Gianvito Plasmati in the picture above, dropped their keks around
their knees. The trick worked brilliantly, as Giuseppe Mascara’s
free kick sailed past keeper Matteo Sereni to secure to 3-2 victory
for the home side:
“This is a strategy that (Catania coach Walter) Zenga tries
continually in training,” the club’s chief executive Pietro Lo
Monaco told RAI state radio yesterday.
Former referees coordinator Paolo Casarin called the move
“unsportsmanlike and in bad taste.
“It’s a trick that should not be tolerated anymore by the
referees,” Casarin said.
Lo Monaco responded: “A trick? I wouldn’t say so. It’s up to the
referee to decide if it should be penalised, otherwise I don’t
see where the problem is … Good taste is relative.”
