A Calcio Storico semi-final, between the Bianchi and the Azzurri, was interrupted after three referees were attacked on the field. At the time that the incident occurred, the Azzurri were ahead of the Bianchi by two and a half points to zero.
After a victory by the Rossi over the Verdi on June 10, a day later in the heart of the game, the Azzurri players began to fight with the Bianchi, ultimately punching and kicking three referees who were trying to stop them.
At the time that the incident occurred, the Azzurri were ahead of the Bianchi by two and a half points to zero.
Although the Azzurri might have won the match, they were suspended after team members attacked the referees, and they will not be able to participate in the final scheduled for June 24, the feast of San Giovanni, Florence’s patron saint and a legal holiday.
Calcio Storico is a Florentine sports tradition in which four teams represent the four neighborhoods of the historic center: Rossi of Santa Maria Novella, Verdi of San Giovanni, Bianchi of Santo Spirito, and Azzurri of Santa Croce.
On June 15, it was decided that Azzurri players Gianluca Gori Savellini and Antonio Schiavoni will be disqualified from the team due to the incident. Other sanctions will be determined following the final game. In addition, the Santa Croce team will have to pay €20,000 in fines, 5,000 per player who didn’t leave the field when asked. City council is considering revoking the Azzurri’s 2017 annual contribution.
The mayor expressed his disappointment regarding the incident, stating that when a referee is harmed, no alibi is applicable. Mayor Nardella explains that the tournament will go on, but when rules are broken, consequences must follow. To read more in Italian and to see a photo gallery, visit Florence’s La Repubblica news site.