Maurizio Viscidi, the coordinator of Italy’s male youth national teams, has addressed the incident involving Willy Gnonto using a smartphone on the bench during the Under-21 friendly match against San Marino. Speaking to Raisport (via TMW), Viscidi provided context for the situation that raised eyebrows among viewers.
“Willy was substituted at the end of the first half because we were ahead and he was on a yellow card. He was too important for the Norway game,” Viscidi explained. “As he was returning from the locker room to the field, he received a message from his club, who were alarmed and wondering why he had been substituted in such a match.”
Viscidi went on to describe the circumstances that led to Gnonto’s use of the phone: “He couldn’t send the message along the way, as there are several meters from the locker room to the bench. When he arrived at the bench, he wanted to reassure his club that the substitution was to avoid risking a suspension.”
While acknowledging that the timing might have been inappropriate, Viscidi defended Gnonto’s intentions: “The timing may have been wrong, perhaps yes, but at the same time it was an act of respect towards the club to reassure them.”
