Italian soccer player suspended for allegedly urinating at fans

In some of the most bizarre soccer news you will ever encounter, a player in Serie D, Italy’s fourth division, has been suspended for five games for allegedly after urinating in the direction of fans, according to multiple reports.

There is no video of the incident, but Giovanni Liberti, a midfielder for Turris Calcio, reportedly “urinated in the direction of the away section” during a stoppage in play, “making obscene and vulgar gestures to his genital organ.” That’s according to the disciplinary board that levied the five-game ban.

The club has disputed that characterization of the events, and appealed the ban. The club’s president, Antonio Colantonio, released the following statement (via football-italia.net):

“Unfortunately, once again, we find ourselves faced with an injustice. Our player Liberti absolutely did not do what is alleged. Quite simply in the warm-up area there’s a fountain near the wall and the player, ready to come onto the pitch, was drinking and adjusting his shirt, which by regulation should be inside his shorts.

“The serious thing is that in support of this ban there is only the testimony of the assistant referee positioned on the opposite side of the pitch. The visiting club confirmed to us that our player did not do anything of the sort. I’m bitter about the decision of the sporting court, against which we will appeal.”

The football-italia story also notes that Liberti isn’t the only Serie D player to misbehave recently. In a separate incident, Francesco Ferrieri, a player for Frattese, was also suspended five matches for “kicking and punching the masseur” at Nardo.