“I have already apologized and I regret what I did. But I didn't exercise any kind of violence: just a little slap and a push to their coach, which still provoked me, before and after my expulsion. Immediately afterwards I was brutally beaten on and off the pitch. From Lanteri members and from various parents. Dragged to the ground and kicked and punched. I still wear the marks and have the collar. I was in the emergency room for a day and I intend to sue Lanteri for the serious treatment received ».
These are today's words of Riccardo Bruno, 40 years old from Berchidda, former player of Olbia and coach of the very young players of the Ozierese. Yesterday morning, in Sassari, at the start of the second half of the very young Lanteri - Ozierese match, he was expelled by the referee, for protests and continuous exits from the technical area, on the result of 3-2 in favor of his team. While he was heading off the pitch the crime: the blow to the coach of Lanteri Alessio Carta at the bench and the great uproar that ensued. With the Ozierese coach who had the worst. The match has been suspended. And vibrant controversies have flared up. The Lanteri coach received the solidarity of all insiders and did not react to the blow suffered by his colleague. He also rebuts allegations of provocation. «It is not true, provoking is not my nature - specifies Carta -. I was attacked by Mr. Bruno for no reason. This is the truth. They even gave me 5 days of treatment."
Riccardo Bruno as a precaution (pending investigations) has been suspended from any position by the Ozierese, a club with great footballing traditions. The Lanteri club, also strongly rooted in the territory, instead "condemns the episode of violence and appeals to sporting justice". An investigation by the Sassari police is underway into yesterday's serious events, which also have some footage of what happened.
