By Juan Arango
Rough play is part of any sport and football is not the exception. Some challenges are of the criminal type… at least we say that in the figurative sense.
But on Monday a court in Argentina ruled against the Italian international in a court case that saw him as the defendantin a case that was 16 years in the making.
According to daily Clarín, the Civil and Commercial court of the city of Mar Del Plata ruled that the World Cup winner would have to pay damages that ended the career of Roberto Pizzo back in 1994 when he played for second division side Aldosivi.
Judges Ramiro Rosales and Roberto Lostaunau decided that the Juventus midfielder “grossly misinterpreted the rules of the game” and “acted in an excessive and brute manner which was abnormal and preventable.”
The former Cruz Azul and Banfield man challenged Pizzo in an overly aggressive fashion. The challenge saw the former Alvarado man sustain a torn ACL, MCL, and right and left menisci. Not only that the player also underwent an extensive rehabilitation, but his career was over.
This coincides with Camoranesi’s negotiations that have him probably moving to Birmingham for the upcoming season after nine seasons with Juventus.
Meanwhile the lone judge who voted against this decision, Alfredo Méndez, stated that it was “purely incidental” and “part of the game”. Méndez said that it was a typical action action where two players went after a divided ball.
Could this court decision start a litigious firestorm if one player seriously fouls another?
Let the madness begin… I guess.
