Juventus will resume their Serie A campaign at Cagliari without Norberto Neto, as an old disciplinary case from Brazil postpones the goalkeeper’s first official involvement for Luciano Spalletti’s side.
The match at the Unipol Domus, against Fabio Pisacane’s Cagliari, is scheduled for Sunday 11 October at 20:45. Neto had joined Juventus as cover for the injured Grabara, but must serve a one-match ban carried over from his time at Botafogo.
Quick facts
- Cagliari host Juventus at the Unipol Domus on Sunday 11 October, kick-off 20:45.
- Neto is unavailable because of a suspension imposed after a red card while playing for Botafogo.
- The incident occurred against Bahia on 30 May.
- The Brazilian sports court reduced the punishment to one match.
- Spalletti will rely on Vicario and Pinsoglio among his goalkeepers.
The dismissal came late in the first half of Botafogo’s match with Bahia on 30 May. The referee awarded a corner after ruling that Neto had held the ball for longer than eight seconds.
Neto reacted with abusive language towards referee Davi de Oliveira Lacerda and was sent off. A disciplinary proceeding followed, with the original allegation carrying the possibility of a longer suspension of up to four matches for insulting the officiating team.
His legal representatives successfully sought a lesser charge, classified as a simple insult rather than an offence against the honour of the officials. The Superior Court of Sports Justice consequently set the sanction at one game.
That suspension falls on the first official Juventus fixture available to Neto after his free-agent arrival at Continassa. His debut must therefore wait beyond the trip to Sardinia, where Juventus will turn to the Vicario-Pinsoglio pairing for their goalkeeping options.
