Edin Dzeko Receives Fine and Two-Match Coppa Italia Ban

Since we spent the bulk of the day talking about Edin Dzeko's performance, we might as well talk about his behavior. While a 7-1 drubbing at the hand's of one of your rivals is bad enough, the site of an enraged Dzeko screaming at the official after a foul on Lorenzo Pellegrini went uncalled was the cherry on top of that horrible sundae. The unseen benefit of getting blown out so indiscriminately is that you can sort of just throw your hands up and walk away—there’s no use dissecting an ass whooping like that—but when an ugly loss is marred by an ugly moment like that, people start talking.

And in this case, it wasn't so much the antecedent to Dzeko's behavior that mattered, it was what may or may not have sprung from his lips...

While it's not quite the Zaprurder film, I'm sure I wasn't the only Roma fan who ran this back a few times, pouring over every frame in a desperate attempt to see Dzeko's phantom spittle. Spit or no spit, Dzeko was FUMING. For his fury, Dzeko earned a red card and a seat in the stands, but the debate raged on: did he or didn't he?

Well, we now have our answer: he did not.

What he did do was curse a blue streak at the referee, a tirade that has now earned him a €10,000 fine and a two-match Coppa Italia ban, which, whatever, you've seen how Roma treats that tournament anyway, so he'll still be available for Roma's next league fixture against Milan.

Still, this wasn't the best image for one of the club’s captains—it was an ugly moment in what has been an ugly season for Dzeko.