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Kevin Strootman has been banned for two matches for simulating to earn a penalty in Roma's 3-1 defeat to Lazio at the weekend. The Dutch midfielder's dive earned his team a penalty, which Daniel De Rossi tucked away to bring Roma level on the stroke of half-time. Two second-half goals saw Lazio win the Eternal City derby anyway, but Roma have now lost Strootman for their games against AC Milan and Juventus. Television evidence was used to sanction Strootman, with the Lega Serie A confirming in a statement that his "seriously unsporting behaviour in the incident which saw a penalty awarded" saw the referee misled by the Dutchman's "unnatural turn and relative fall to the floor which could in no instance be caused by the attempts by Lazio's player Wallace to intervene." The statement continued: "This fully fulfils the criteria for the application of article 35, 1.3, for unsporting behaviour, being as it was seriously unsporting behaviour, clearly not seen by the referee, and in particular an evident simulation from which a penalty was awarded." Pending a possible appeal by Roma, Strootman is set to miss their trip to Milan next weekend and the home game against Juventus, who could already have been crowned champions before they meet on May 14. Strootman will return for the trip to Chievo and clash with Genoa on the final day of the season.
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