Rome  - Police have arrested a footballer after he played a weekend game as captain of a lower-division side despite having been placed under surveillance, Italian media reported Monday.

Giorgio Christian Buontempo, 27, on Sunday was on the pitch with Atletico Capurso, a club from a town in the southern region of Puglia who played against visitors ACD Milan Club, from nearby Molfetta.

The game's referee called the police after he suspended the game due to a brawl among the players, which allowed the officers to identify Buontempo.

The footballer had been banned from going to Capurso and meet five of his team mates, one of them being a previous offender convicted for Mafia association and drug dealing, while another was banned from attending stadiums.

It appears that Buontempo played five other games with Atletico Capurso in the past two months. (dpa)