Allegri banned for two Serie A matches after red card

The ban and the league's reasons for the decision

The Italian league on Tuesday suspended Napoli head coach Massimiliano Allegri for two Serie A matches and fined him after a red card late in the home match against Roma, which ended in a 3-3 draw. According to the league, after being sent off the coach 'made an extremely disrespectful remark about the referees in the dressing room and behaved aggressively towards an official of the opposing team.' Allegri lost his temper after Roma equalised in the 89th minute on Saturday; as he left the pitch, he threw his jacket to the ground. AFP reported this.

Matches missed and the decision not to appeal

The suspension forces Allegri to miss Wednesday's match and Sunday's away game against Juventus in Turin. The club stated on its website that it intended to appeal the decision, but the coach himself said he would not file an appeal: 'I decided not to appeal, because you never know — instead of a two-match ban I might get four.' He added that what upset him most was not the suspension but the dropped points: 'Despite a strong performance, we did not take three points away.' Allegri also remarked ironically that 'whoever ends up on the bench will surely do a better job than me' — he has faced criticism since joining Napoli in the summer. Context on the result: Napoli, who finished last season second under Antonio Conte, sit only 10th in Serie A, 11 points behind leaders Inter.