But what does a green card really mean? It’s an award for fair play.

“It’s a symbolic award. It could be something very simple. The important thing is to recognise it when a professional does something exemplary,” Serie B president Andrea Abodi was quoted as saying by Goal.

And Vicenza attacker Cristian Galano did exactly that when he helped the referee decide whether his shot touched a defender or not, when a corner was given after a shot from a tight angle.

The referee said it was a corner, but the opposition defenders asked him to confirm with Galano, and the attacker duly said that his hit was clean – and it should be a goal kick.

The player with the most number of green cards will get an award at the end of the season.

Feature image source: Twitter / Bleacher Report