An analysis of the top two divisions across Europe`s five major leagues reveals that Italy`s Serie B leads in red cards, surpassing leagues like the Premier League, La Liga, and Bundesliga, which exhibit less strict refereeing. Serie A, surprisingly, registers a remarkably low number of send-offs.
A veritable deluge of red cards has marked the opening twenty matches of Serie B. With an astonishing seven send-offs already issued, Italy`s second-tier league firmly establishes itself as the most indisciplined among the top two divisions of Europe`s five major championships. Players like Spezia`s Kouda, Avellino`s Cagnano, and even Empoli`s Guarino and Obaretin, who were dismissed just minutes apart, highlight this unusual trend. This statistic grants Serie B a unique record in the continental football landscape, while Serie A presents a starkly different scenario.
Comparison with Other European Leagues
Expanding the analysis to the first two rounds of the ten European divisions (the top two tiers of Italy, France, Germany, Spain, and England), Spain`s Segunda División emerges alongside Serie B for the highest number of red cards, also tallying seven send-offs. However, Serie B holds an even more significant distinction, having reached this figure in fewer matches, as the Spanish second division includes two additional teams. Germany`s 2. Bundesliga also stands out with a considerable number of sanctions: six red cards in just eighteen matches, a remarkable figure given its smaller number of teams compared to Serie B.
The Most Disciplined Leagues
Serie A, quite surprisingly, occupies the last position in this ranking, proving to be the “least aggressive” league among the ten analyzed. With only two red cards across twenty matches, both occurring on the opening day (Sassuolo`s Koné and Juventus`s Cambiaso), Italy`s top flight demonstrates remarkable discipline. The English Championship also proves highly disciplined, with just three send-offs in an impressive twenty-four matches, and the Premier League records the same number of red cards (three) in twenty fixtures. France exhibits a more variable pattern: Ligue 1 registered five send-offs in the first two matchdays out of eighteen total games, with an additional four added in the recently concluded third round. Their second division has accumulated a total of six red cards.
