Roma director Mauro Baldissoni slammed the 15-month delay in charging Rudi Garcia with using a walkie-talkie.
The incident in question was during Livorno-Roma on August 25 2013, the debut in Serie A of Coach Garcia.
He used a walkie-talkie to communicate with his assistant Frederic Bompard in the stands – something that is legal and common in Ligue 1, but banned in Italy.
Roma director Mauro Baldissoni slammed the 15-month delay in charging Rudi Garcia with using a walkie-talkie.
The incident in question was during Livorno-Roma on August 25 2013, the debut in Serie A of Coach Garcia.
He used a walkie-talkie to communicate with his assistant Frederic Bompard in the stands – something that is legal and common in Ligue 1, but banned in Italy.
Bizarrely, the FIGC has taken 15 months to consider the case and asked FIFA for its opinion before today confirming it had deferred Garcia and Bompard to the Disciplinary Commission.
“They wanted to think about it long and hard, but probably should’ve thought about it better instead,” Baldissoni told Roma Radio.
“This happened in the opening round of last season. There was a hearing where Garcia explained it was a perfectly normal technique used often in France, while Roma asked via a letter for an explanation of the rules from the Referees’ Association, FIGC, Lega Serie A and Disciplinary Commission. As of today, nobody has given us a reply.
“In the meantime, the Disciplinary Commission gave us fines amounting to a total of more than €100,000, which was cut by half at the end of the season.
“This year, we have had more sanctions. We never received any sanctions in the Champions League for using walkie-talkies, which again is why we asked for an explanation of the rule in Italy.
“Now we’ve been deferred to the Disciplinary Commission. I find the whole thing rather ridiculous, but we’ll go to the Federal Tribunal and see what happens.”
The ban appears to be aimed at Coaches who have been sent off and want to communicate with their bench or are suspended for the match, but does not specify communication when there are no disciplinary measures already in place.