By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: 16:31 BST, 13 October 2026 | Updated: 16:31 BST, 13 October 2026
MILAN (AP) - Juventus coach Luciano Spalletti and Cagliari counterpart Fabio Pisacane were handed one-match bans Tuesday following their altercation at the end of Sunday´s match.
Spalletti will miss this weekend´s home game against Lazio, while Pisacane will sit out Monday´s trip to Monza.
Cagliari held Juventus to a 1-1 draw on Sunday and both coaches were shown a straight red card after a heated face-off after the match.
When the final whistle was blown, the two coaches approached each other for the usual post-match greetings, but the handshake was far from friendly.
Spalletti held Pisacane´s hand firmly, while the Cagliari coach grasped Spalletti´s other arm and heated words were exchanged before they were separated.
"Nothing happened really," Spalletti said after the match. "I paid him a compliment: "Well done, you´re good at wasting a bit of time, too.
Juventus's coach Luciano Spalletti reacts during the Serie A soccer match between Cagliari and Juventus, in Cagliari, Italy, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026. (Gianluca Zuddas/LaPresse via AP)
"He said to me, \`What time?´ We stood there like that for a moment, but nothing happened, no harm was done."
The Italian league´s judge said that Spalletti was handed the ban for having "adopted a provocative attitude towards the opposing team´s coach, creating a moment of tension between the members of the two benches."
Pisacane was suspended for having "reacted to the opposing team´s coach´s provocative behavior, fueling a moment of tension between the members of the two benches."
Meanwhile, Roma forward Donyell Malen was given a one-match ban after a straight red card in Sunday´s 0-0 draw at Como.
Serie A's leading scorer escaped a two-game suspension because his "serious foul" on Como defender Kaiki wasn´t deemed violent conduct, but rather a genuine attempt to win the ball back.
Malen, who has scored six goals in as many league matches this season, will miss Saturday´s match at home against Genoa.
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Cagliari's coach Fabio Pisacane during the Serie A soccer match between Cagliari and Juventus, in Cagliari, Italy, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026. (Gianluca Zuddas/LaPresse via AP)
Roma's Donyell Malen reacts after getting a red card during the Serie A soccer match between Como and Roma, in Como, Italy, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026. (Tiziano Ballabio/LaPresse via AP)