Friday 30 January 2009

Weekend's Serie A and B kick-offs delayed

Serie A and Serie B games will be delayed by 15 minutes this weekend as a sign of solidarity for banned players Daniele Mannini and Davide Possanzini.

AICThe Italian Footballers' Association (AIC) announced the initiative as a form of protest for the ruling handed down on Thursday by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on the two players.

Mannini, now playing at Napoli, and Possanzini have been suspended for one year by the court in Lausanne after both players arrived late for a drug test after playing for Brescia in a Serie B game against Chievo in December 2007.


"The Italian Footballers' Association has decided that the teams will go out on the pitch 15 minutes late in all of the Serie A and Serie B games this weekend, including the Friday and Monday night games," AIC President Sergio Campana said.

"This protest is a sign of solidarity for Mannini and Possanzini after the scandalous sentences imposed upon them."

The sentence was imposed after the World Anti-Doping Authority (WADA) disagreed with the 15-day ban - that both players have served - handed down by the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) last March.

All 21 matches in the top two divisions - starting with tonight's Serie B match between Modena and Rimini - will start 15 minutes later than their scheduled kick off time.

[Outrage as duo get year-long doping bans]

Source: Sporting Life

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