Christian Bonino, the former Juventus striker, received a red card after he was caught urinating on the side of the field, before coming on as a substitute with Lecco, the competitor in the Italian third division, football.
Bonino was preparing to come on as a substitute in the 76th minute of the first group match against his host Piacenza, before he answered the call of nature.
But an assistant referee caught the 26-year-old urinating on the field and got a red card.
Lecco coach Luciano Foschi believes the punishment was harsh for the former Italy under-19 player.
“These are the rules and they have to be respected, but I hoped the officials would apply the spirit of the law because no one was offended and no one saw it,” Foschi told Gazzetta dello Sport.
“The referee could have settled for a yellow card. But the referee didn’t make a mistake. Bonino? In my opinion, he didn’t know the consequences of this action.”
The match ended in a goalless draw.
