Atalanta BC striker German Denis has been handed a five-match ban for punching Empoli defender Lorenzo Tonelli.

The two players came to blows as their teams played out a 2-2 draw in their Serie A match on Sunday.

A tribunal found that Denis was told by Tonelli during the match that he would kill him and his family, which led to the striker charging into the Empoli dressing room after the final whistle and punching Tonelli in the face.

Denis will now miss all of Atalanta's fixtures until their match against AC Milan on the final day of the season.

Tonelli has been given a one-match ban for his part in the incident and will miss Empoli's game against Napoli this Thursday.