SPAL, Fiorentina And Bologna Feature In Our Look At The Dirtiest Teams In Serie A

As part of a series assessing what to expect from Serie A in the coming season, The Sportsman have already delved into high scoring defenders, which teams score early and who strikes late, players who provide plenty of assists and an analysis of what is set to be a thrilling race for top scorer in 2018/19.

Next up is Italian football’s dirtiest teams, a look at those sides who tend rack up the most yellow and red cards.

SPAL the worst offenders

Sitting at the top of the list for 2017/18 were SPAL, a team led by former Fiorentina youth team boss Leonardo Semplici. They accumulated no less than 97 cautions and four red cards, however this side must not be panned for their approach. Having achieved promotion to the top flight for the first time in 50 years last season, the Ferrara-based club were the only side that came up from Serie B not to be sent straight back down.

They achieved this through organisation, hard work and a real team ethic created by Semplici – plus a few key loan players from bigger teams – and even league champions Juventus fell foul of their attempts to break up play. The Bianconeri could only draw 0-0 away from home with SPAL in March and Fiorentina suffered the same fate the following month, and it is expected that they will take the same approach this term, as former Leeds striker Mirko Antenucci and new signing Andrea Petagna hope to be on the scoresheet.

Watch out for defensive midfielder Pasquale Schiattarella, who accumulated no less than 12 cautions in 22 starting appearances last season, in addition to defender Francesco Vicari who appeared in the referee’s notebook 10 times and was also sent off on one occasion.

Watch out for Bologna

Next in line were Bologna, the side from Emilia Romagna coming in at 94 yellow cards and had no less than six players sent off last season. The Rossoblu had five players who received eight or more cautions, while defender Giancarlo Gonzalez – at the World Cup this summer with Costa Rica – was sent off twice.

New boss Pippo Inzaghi may want to improve the discipline of his players, however taking them out of mid-table mediocrity will be highest on his list of priorities.

Fiorentina a surprise addition to the list

Of teams in the top half of the table, eighth-placed Fiorentina are an unexpected candidate to appear on the list. The Viola finished fifth highest in Serie A in terms of discipline, Stefano Pioli’s men notching up 84 yellow cards and five reds.

Centre-back German Pezzella was the worst offender with 12 cautions to his name, while former Aston Villa midfielder Jordan Veretout came in next, having accumulated 10 bookings and one red card. The Coach will be surely looking to improve this record as he begins his second season in charge of the Tuscan club, especially with such a young group of players at his disposal.

AS Roma earn fair-play award

Of all the sides in Serie A, it was Roma who were in trouble with the officials on the fewest occasions. Giallorossi players were booked just 46 times, at least 10 fewer than any other Italian top-flight team last season. However, Eusebio Di Francesco’s men weren’t so angelic when it came to sendings off as four of their players were dismissed, their rivals Juventus and Inter the best sides in this regard with just one apiece in 2017/18.