ROME, (Reuters) – Sixteen players from Italian amateur side San Luca have been suspended for two matches for wearing black armbands at a match in November in mourning at the death of a Calabrian Mafia boss.
The team, who play in Italy’s eighth tier, have also been docked three points and fined 600 euros for the gesture after the death of ‘Ndrangheta boss Antonio Pelle, the Italian Soccer Federation said on its website (www.figc.it) yesterday.
The federation said the players had worn the armbands because Pelle was related to a member of the club in the southern region.