Last August 7 the italian water polo team He lived a day to forget. After an even match in the quarterfinals against Hungary, another country with a great tradition in this sport, they were eliminated from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. In the Italian locker room, the disappointment of the defeat was joined by anger, considering that they had been seriously harmed by the referees in a controversial match in the tie. Therefore, upon meeting them later in the parking lot of the aquatic pavilion, They lost their temper and ended up verbally and physically attacking them..
Months later, that loss of roles has been a very harsh punishment for all members of the team, from the players to the coaching staff, and to the team itself. The Integrity Unit of ‘World Aquatics’, the international federation of aquatic sports, has imposed on them a sanction of 6 months of suspension and a fine of 100,000 eurosin addition to the ban on the Italian men’s team from participating in the next World Cup.
“The adjudicating body of the Aquatics Integrity Unit has issued a six-month suspension to the Italian men’s water polo team from participating in any World Aquatics competitions and events for violating Article 5 of the World Aquatics Integrity Code,” explained ‘World Aquatics’ in an official statement.
«The Italian men’s water polo team will not be able to participate in the next Water Polo World Cup. Additionally, the team has been fined $100,000, of which $50,000 must be paid within 90 days. The remaining 50,000 are suspended and will only be paid if the team commits another violation before October 17, 2026,” he added.
The incidents had their origin in a controversial action with 2 minutes and 22 seconds left in the second quarter. So Francesco Condemi He scored the tie at 3, but his hand hit one of the Hungarian players in the face during the shot. The action was reviewed on video by the referees, who decided to annul the goal and send off the Italian, leaving his team in inferiority for four minutes.
Hungary ended up winning the game on penalties, and after the match the Italian coach Alessandro Campagna “protested against the referees in a very aggressive and unsportsmanlike manner,” according to the international federation.
However, the worst would come later, when the Italian team was already on the bus to leave the pavilion for the Olympic Village. Then the referees appeared in the parking lot and the Italians went crazy. «When the bus was about to leave, Italy noticed that the referees were in the parking area. They got off the bus to surround and verbally and physically attack the refereesas well as World Aquatics delegates and officials,” explains ‘World Aquatics’.
The most irritated was the coach Campagnawho “began to attack the referees, accusing them of being responsible for what happened during the match.” According to the report on which the sanction is based, the coach shouted phrases like “what do you know about water polo?” You are from Montenegro…” or “your career as a referee is over.” Such was the harassment from the Italians that the referees had to quickly take refuge inside the venue, where they tried to seek help.
The Italian federation will not appeal
After learning of the serious sanction, the Italian Water Polo Federation has announced that it will not appeal it, but has insisted on the existence of a serious error by the referees that influenced the final result of the match.
«As is well known, the appeals presented by the Italian water polo federation in the 36 hours following the match, although rejected, led to the admission by world aquatic organizations of the lack of violence and intentionality in the action of Francesco Condemi, which was therefore regular,” he argued.
«The 3-3 scored by the ‘Settebello’ striker against Hungary was valid; “The striker should not have been sent off, Italy should not have played 4 minutes with one less and the Hungarians should not have benefited from the 4-2 penalty,” he added.
#Exemplary #punishment #Italian #water #polo #team #attacking #referees #Games
