Italian international Rolando Mandragora has fallen victim to the country’s strict ban on taking God’s name in vain on the pitch, being suspended for one Serie A game for “blasphemous remarks” uttered during his team Udinese’s 1-0 win over Sampdoria at the weekend.
The 21-year-old midfielder was caught on television shouting “Porca Madonna, Vaffanculo, Dio Cane”, an insult to the Virgin Mary, while also referring to God as a dog, in exasperation after a save by Sampdoria goalkeeper Emil Audero.