A 13-year-old goalkeeper, who ended up in hospital after being punched by a rival player’s father, has been banned from football for a year.
Thomas Sarritzu, of Piedmontese side Volpiano Pianese, was left with a fractured ankle bone, neck trauma and severe bruising after the shocking scenes during an under-14s clash with Carmagnola Queencar, a club based near Turin.
The violence erupted after Sarritzu and opposing keeper Cristian Barbero traded blows at the end of the match.
This is turn provoked Barbero’s 40-year-old father to storm the pitch and punch the teenager to the ground according to ANSA.
The attack has caused uproar across Italian football, with messages of support flooding in from Gianluigi Donnarumma and Gianluigi Buffon.
In a dramatic twist, Sarritzu has now been suspended for 12 months alongside Barbero, after the Lega Dilettanti disciplinary commission ruled that both youngsters were guilty of violent conduct.
In a stern statement, officials said the one-year bans were necessary, ‘considering the gravity of the violent conduct from very young kids, which damage the healthy principles of sport based on fair play.’
Adding to the controversy, Sarritzu’s father Angelo – a director of Volpiano Pianese – has also been hit with a ban until March 2026 for brawling with the opposition parent who attacked his son.
Italy and Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma sent a message of support to Sarritzu, saying: ‘We are all with Thomas, we are all by his side, and I’m sending him a big hug. We look forward to seeing him soon in Coverciano.’
Meanwhile, Italy’s Head of Delegation and Sporting Director Buffon told Gazzetta: ‘I’m speechless.
‘I’m literally stunned by what happened and, above all, disoriented because the behaviours that are now too far often repeated on football pitches, or on the sidelines, call for much deeper reflections than a more instinctive natural outrage.
‘I want to send a huge hug and best wishes for a swift recovery to my fellow goalkeeper, urging him to respond to violence with forgiveness, because only with such a countercultural choice can we hope to eradicate such brutality and create a better world and environment.’
