Thou shalt not take the Lord's name in vain: Italian footballers slapped with blasphemy ban
Italian footballers Matteo Scozzarella and Francesco Magnanelli have been hit with a one-game ban for blasphemy during appearances for their teams in Serie A.
Scozzarella, who plays for Parma, and Magnanelli, a midfielder for Sassuolo, were both heard taking the Lord’s name in vain by TV cameras in weekend games at Inter Milan and Verona respectively.
Italy has strict laws on blasphemy and the national FA have previously banned players for the offense.
"The footballers were clearly framed by the television footage while uttering a blasphemous expression that could be identified beyond reasonable doubt,” a statement read.
Parma midfielder Scozzarella, 31, will be ruled out of the game with Verona, while Magnanelli, 34, will be out of contention for the clash against Fiorentina.
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