Olympics|The actions of the Italian players after the lost water polo match brought a tangible punishment.
of Paris the aftermath of the Olympics is just hitting the beach when it comes to the Games’ water polo tournament. One series of events that aroused emotions resulted in hefty fines and a long ban a couple of months after the Games. Tells about it insidethegames website.
Perhaps the most talked about event of the water polo tournament and the referee’s decision that followed was seen in the quarter-final match between Italy and Hungary.
Italy lost the match after penalty kicks with 10–12 goals and was eliminated from the medal games. The actual playing time of the match ended 9–9 and penalty throws 3–1 for Hungary.
According to Inside the Games, the emotional situation was seen in the last moments of the second quarter of the match. Italian Francesco Condemi scored a 3-3 equalizer, or so he thought.
The referees of the match found that Condem hit the opponent’s face with his hand after the throw. After a discussion, the goal was disallowed and Condemi was kicked out of the match.
Italy made a protest about the incident, which did not go through. Now, instead, the International Swimming Federation has sanctioned the Italian team for “very aggressive and unsportsmanlike behavior”.
Italy head coach Alessandro Campagna it got hot during the match, and the players were boiling over after the match. The players violated the referees’ integrity after the match in the parking lot of the competition venue.
Italy was fined 100,000 euros and banned from competition for six months. It means that Italy will not be able to participate in the World Cup in Serbia in January.
In the qualifying match against Spain, the Italian team protested by turning their backs during the national anthem.