A physical confrontation occurred in the tunnel between players of Genoa and Sassuolo at halftime of their Serie A encounter at the Stadio Ferraris, leading to the dismissal of Mikael Ellertsson and Domenico Berardi.
The incident saw Sassuolo’s winger Berardi and Genoa’s midfielder Ellertsson sent off after the first half of the match between the Grifone and the Neroverdi.
Genoa held a 1-0 lead at the break. However, tensions flared in the tunnel, with Genoa defender Stefano Sabelli reportedly arguing with Berardi over a challenge made in the closing moments of the first half.
Sabelli’s remarks reportedly provoked an angry response from Berardi, which escalated into a physical altercation that also involved Genoa’s Johan Vásquez and Ellertsson.
The referee, Antonio Rapuano, issued straight red cards to Ellertsson and Berardi for their significant involvement in the dispute.
Genoa had taken the lead in the first half through a spectacular long-range goal by Ruslan Malinovskyi. The match recommenced after the interval with both teams playing with ten men.
