Sassuolo's Berardi handed two-match ban for tunnel altercation
Sassuolo forward Domenico Berardi has been suspended for two Serie A matches and fined €10,000 by the Italian Sports Judge for his involvement in a tunnel altercation following the first half of last weekend's match against Genoa. The incident, which also saw Genoa midfielder Mikael Egill Ellertsson receive a one-game ban and a €5,000 fine, occurred as the players were heading to the dressing rooms at the Mapei Stadium.
According to the official disciplinary report, Berardi's sanction was for "having, at the end of the first half, in the tunnel leading to the dressing rooms, while trying to make physical contact with a player of the opposing team, put his hands around the neck of another player of the opposing team who had interposed himself to prevent the contact." Ellertsson was punished for "having, at the end of the first half, in the tunnel leading to the dressing rooms, pushed with force a player of the opposing team, moved away by his own teammates."
The ruling comes despite Berardi's attempt to explain his actions on social media, where the 29-year-old Italian international claimed he was only trying to free himself and did not strike anyone with a violent gesture. The Sports Judge, however, deemed the actions worthy of significant punishment, with Berardi's two-match effective ban being the more severe of the two penalties handed out.
Berardi will now miss Sassuolo's crucial final two matches of the season against Como and Fiorentina. His absence is a significant blow for manager Davide Ballardini, though the club has already secured its Serie A status for next season, having reached the safety threshold. The suspension could also have wider implications for the European race, as Juventus, battling for a Champions League place, would have preferred Berardi to be available to face a direct rival in Como.
In addition to the main protagonists, several other players received one-match suspensions for accumulating yellow cards while already under a formal warning from the league. These include Sassuolo's Josh Doig, Genoa's Morten Frendrup and Ruslan Malinovskyi, Torino's Ardian Ismajli, and Inter's Petar Sučić.
The Sports Judge also issued fines to three clubs for fan behavior. Cagliari was fined €4,000 for objectively responsible for causing a three-minute delay to the start of their match. Bologna received a €3,000 fine for fans throwing two flares onto the pitch, and Roma was fined €2,000 for a supporter launching a firecracker into the playing area during their game.
Berardi, Sassuolo's long-time captain and offensive talisman, has endured an injury-hit season but remains a pivotal figure. This disciplinary setback concludes a frustrating campaign on a sour note for the player personally, while his team must navigate their final fixtures without their primary creative threat.
