Lazio's Lazzari latest Serie A player banned for blasphemy

Rome (AFP) – Lazio winger Manuel Lazzari has joined Roma’s Bryan Cristante in being banned for a game for making blasphemous comments during a match, Serie A announced on Tuesday.

Lazzari’s remarks, which came during the second-half of Sunday’s loss at Inter Milan at an almost empty San Siro, were picked up on television.

Cristante was handed the same suspension in December after reacting to scoring an own goal.

Juventus’ Gianluigi Buffon was the subject of an investigation for the same reason in the same month but has yet to be sanctioned for remarks caught on an audio recording.

Two further probes from the Italian football federation are underway after the use of the technology.

The first concerns an altercation between Inter Milan’s Romelu Lukaku and AC Milan’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic in January.

The second surrounds exchanges between Inter coach Antonio Conte and Juve president Andre Agnelli last week.

On Saturday, former Juve boss Conte apologised for “reacting badly to provocation” during the draw at the Allianz Stadium.