Italy: Serie B introduces green card for fair play

The second highest football league in Italy introduces the so-called “green card” to promote fairness on the pitch. Players in Serie B who rush to the aid of an opponent, support the referee or correct a wrong decision by the referee despite their own disadvantages should be rewarded with it. The “green card” is to be used for the first time on Friday in Spezia Calcio’s game against AS Bari. “Although the green card has only a symbolic value, it is an important signal for Italian football. We don’t want to reward normal behavior, we want to reward exemplary behavior,” said Serie B President Andrea Abodi. The green card has already been tested in the youth sector in Italy.