Tue, October 22, 2024
The men’s Italian water polo team fined €100,000 and suspended for assaulting referees
The incident occurred during the Paris 2024 Olympics, and the team has been prohibited from international competitions for six-months, which will include the 2025 Water Polo World Cup in January due to take place in Novi Sad, Serbia. The exemplary ramifications were decided by the Integrity Unit of World Aquatics. The water polo team breached “Article 5 of the World Aquatics Integrity Code.”
All members of the water polo team, including coaches, are involved. The altercation took place on 7 August 2024. The Italians were up against Hungary during their quarter-final game at the Olympics. With just 2 minutes and 22 seconds remaining in the second quarter of the match, Francesco Condemi scored the equaliser (3-3), but his hand hit a Hungarian athlete in the face whilst doing so. The referees consulted VAR and decided to disallow the goal and remove Condemi. The score became equal again 4 minutes later.
However, during a penalty shootout, Italy was defeated 12-10. This eliminated the Italian squad from the semi-finals. Following this, veteran Alessandro Campagna, the Italian lead coach, behaved in a “very aggressive and unsportsmanlike manner.”
Campagna voiced: "I don't want to think ill of anyone. Scientifically speaking, violent play is impossible when a player is shooting. It’s impossible because you’re concentrating on shooting, you're making the motion, and you can’t strike your opponent. It was an unacceptable decision."
Once they had left the Défense Arena pool, where the match was held, the Italian squad came across the referees in the parking lot. According to World Aquatics’ report, "As the bus was about to depart, Italy noticed the referees in the parking area. They got off the bus to surround and verbally and physically assault the referees, as well as World Aquatics delegates and officials."
Campagna, Italian lead coach, "began to lash out at the referees, accusing them of being responsible for what happened during the match". 'What do you know about water polo? You’re from Montenegro… Your career as a referee is finished'."
The confrontation was serious enough to make the referees run back inside to seek help. The report says that several Italian athletes chased after them, however.
Additionally, during their consolation game, the Italian squad put little effort in and turned their backs on the referees and the Spanish team they were up against during the ceremonial presentation.
The Italian water polo federation will not appeal World Aquatics’ decision but continues to argue that the Italian team was treated unfairly by referees on 7 August.
Campagna said: "As is well known, the appeals lodged by the Italian water polo federation within 36 hours of the match, though rejected, led to the world aquatic bodies admitting that there was no violence or intent in Francesco Condemi's action, which was therefore legitimate."
He continued: "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 four minutes with a man down, and Hungary should not have benefited from the 4-2 penalty."
