Italian football in trouble

[Rubbernose]

The death of a policeman and injury to over 100 people at last night's Palermo v Catania warzone is without doubt a sign of something very stinky in Italian football atm. I believe most Italian fans would tell you the same thing. Italians I know do, and have. Many are so concerned with Italian football atm that much of the shine was lost from their WC win.

Because outside of that win, it seems to me that Italian football is just imploding on itself, on the back of not only well documented corruption, but violence. Among other things.

I mean geez, even the Italian PM had this to say;

Football: PM warns of 'degeneration'
From correspondents in Rome
February 03, 2007

ITALIAN Prime Minister Romano Prodi has warned that football in his country must undergo radical surgery if it is to cease the violence that led to the death of a policeman at a Serie A game today.

A 38-year-old police officer died in hospital after he was reportedly hit in the face by a homemade explosive device thrown from the crowd at the Sicilian derby between Catania and Palermo.

Around 100 people were injured as fighting continued after the game won by Palermo 2-1.

"My first thoughts are for the people affected by the violence and their families,'' Prodi said.

Prodi backed the decision by Italian football authorities to call off the remainder of this weekend's scheduled matches.

"It is the right signal and is necessary to avoid the degeneration of the sport."

All Italian football matches have been cancelled for the rest of the weekend. Upcoming Italian NT matches against Belgium and Romania have been canned.

The Italian Players Association has gone further, and suggested that Italian leagues be cancelled for a year.

“Football should stop for a year to reflect on all the evil that comes from it. The culture that surrounds our sport is wrong and has to be revolutionised. We need patience for that to happen and maybe passing on to another generation,” said AIC President Sergio Campana.

The FIGC called a halt to all Serie A, B, C and Youth Championship games this weekend after the riots that marred the Sicilian derby.

I think it's about time they had a good hard look at themselves. If they sweep it under the carpet it will just continue to degenerate. It's been allowed to spiral out of control by both the Italian FA and the clubs alike.

England suffered short term for it's sins, and it is now probably the best ran league in the world. It must be about time Italy faced the same. And as I said, I perosnally know for a fact that MANY Italian football fans agree.

[forzamariners]

They need to restructure it BUT not take all the passion out of the game ie. all seater stadia etc

[greenpoleffc]

Like this is new?? Italina hooliganism is amongst the worst in Europe. The clubs dont give a shit.

Cancelling their entries to competitions outside the country for a few years should help.

[Perm]

restructure the comp and teams and call it the I-league.
Scribe can do the theme song for V.1

[greenpoleffc]

An eye witness account of Napoli v Roma taken from the FFC unofficial board today will give you an insight into why being an "ultra" is not too cool.........

Napoli's certainly not Bruges or Prague, but it's a fascinating, working (or not) city and has an amazing atmosphere. If you've not been then I'd strongly recommend a visit. Pompei's just down the road, which is amazing, but Napoli itself is great - you can eat amazingly well for bugger all too.

As far as the football's concerned, we chose a pretty mental game in so much as Napoli could have been relegated that day and Roma could have won their first title for 18 years, so it was always going to be lively.

Literally thousands of Napoli fans fighting with the Police from about 4 hours before the game started and throughout the game. Police cars and vans on fire, police having home made bombs thrown at them, and because Napoli fans had stabbed police horses earlier in the season, the police drive their riot vans at the crowd to disperse them. Tear gas everywhere and chaos - it was genuinely scary stuff.

Got into the ground and it was just as bad - as I said, people just wandering around with three foot long iron bars, claw hammers etc. Mental. We also managed to sit in some minor Camorra character's favourite seat, which was a bit iffy as it wasn't until someone explained who he was that we moved. Not good. But...

The atmosphere was unbelievable. My ears were hurting. Only 55,000 in the San Paulo, but I have never heard so much noise at a match. Passion doesn't do it justice. So, a combination of being seriously intimidated and also in complete awe at the atmosphere.

My mate and I both agreed that we'd never go and watch either of our sides or England at the San Paulo - it would just be too stressful an experience. Something like 50+ police in hospital, almost 40 stabbings, a train station set on fire, Roma fans kept in the stadium for over three hours after the final whistle.

Our hotel concierge had begged us not to go to the game for about 3 days and then met us for a quick drink where he explained that he was banned from all football with a suspended sentence for "trouble" with a policeman in Turin. If he went to the game, he would be sent straight to prison. He told us it would be unsafe to sit in even semi-posh seats without a local to look after us, and told us to meet someone quite high up in one of their Ultra groups who'd look after us.

We went to meet this fella, but seeing as he was involved in a pitched battle with the police about two minutes after we met him, we decided to give him a swerve! Ten minutes later our concierge goes running past, throwing bottles across the road at the police - "I couldn't stay at home when this was happening".

In the stadium, we could see the ultras in the Curva A ripping up rows of seats, still on their iron bars and throwing whole rows of still connected seats down stairwells at the police, and then battering them with bars as they stormed up the stairs. It was terrible to watch.

In the evening our waiter in a bar that we'd been using apologised for the fact that there hadn't been as much trouble at the game as people had hoped because the Roma fans had been so well protected by the police. He looked genuinely embarrassed and hoped we wouldn't think badly of their ultras. This lot are serious fruit-loops.

Anyhow, we just happened to get one of the most volatile games in recent history, but I'd still recommend a visit to the San Paulo - I'd just choose a sensible game. The atmosphere might not be as electric, but you'll probably be able to relax a bit more.

[forzamariners]

The "Mentalita Ultras" and hooliganism are too very differnet things!

[shelleybeach]

they are scum, throwing bombs from a crowd is cowardly.

the Italians need to come down hard on these clubs. the double standards piss me off too, Feyernoord were kicked out of the UEFA cup for crowd trouble - if it had have been an English club there would have been calls to ban all English clubs for a few years. Or what about Leeds and Galatasaray about 5 years ago, 2 leeds fans stabbed to death, yet they were allowed to stay in the cup (and won)

[johnnywarren]

have to agree shelley beach. italian soccer should be banned for a few years. this is ridiculous to see that for us it is something to enjoy and to cheer. we don't go to a soccer game to see a riot first and then some football. then you go to the cheating side of the italian game from last years competition.
the italian league is probably ran by the tv station which is owned by berlusconi - ac milan top knob, italian prime minister.
no wonder the game can't come clean there.

its hard enough to think of violence at the game when you just go there to enjoy the spectacle.

and to greenpole, bet you're glad you got out of that one ok.!!!

[Jesus]

Italian politics and football is very corrupt, always has been.
They do need to introduce sweeping reforms. Fifa and uefa should be pushing them into it.
They need reforms from stadiums, to administration to just about everything.

[Jesus]

UEFA president Michel Platini has given his support to the Italian Football Federation's (FIGC) decision to suspend play at all levels of the game in the country following the death of a policeman at a match.

Platini, elected UEFA president on January 26, also offered condolences to the family of the policeman killed in clashes between fans at a Serie A game in Sicily on Friday (Saturday morning AEDT), the second football-related death in Italy in a week.

"Firstly, I extend my heartfelt personal condolences, together with those of the entire European football family, to the family of the police officer, Filippo Raciti, who lost his life yesterday," Platini said.

"Violence of any sort is unacceptable and it has absolutely no place in the game of football - we do not condone it, we must not accept it and we must act to eradicate it," he added in a statement on the official UEFA website (www.uefa.com)

"That is why today UEFA offers its whole-hearted support for the actions taken by the FIGC's extraordinary commissioner, Luca Pancalli, to indefinitely suspend all international and domestic matches until further notice."

Platini vowed UEFA would help the Italian authorities and those of other European countries to eradicate violence from football.

"Following the death of a Paris Saint-Germain FC supporter last year and the rioting of Feyenoord fans in Nancy, this latest episode further deepens our concern about violence creeping back into the game," Platini said.

"We must now work together with the Italian football authorities and politicians in support of the Italian game, and find a solution to this spiral of violence that is plaguing European football."

[forzamariners]

The Players Association want the season cancelled whilst there is a rumour that the remainderof games may be played behind closed doors.

[Rubbernose]

Go Platini.

Bresciano was treated for the effects of tear gas. btw.

[Rubbernose]

Raciti murder "was revenge"
Sunday 4 February, 2007

The police are now suggesting that Filippo Raciti was targeted in a revenge killing for acting as a witness in the trial of a Catania Ultra’.

The 38-year-old policeman was killed during riots that surrounded the Stadio Massimino while Catania-Palermo was played inside.

An autopsy has now confirmed he died from massive liver damage. “The cause of death is clear,” announced the MD.

It was already known that the Catania fans staged an ambush on the arriving Palermo fans and police force, but a frightening new theory has come to light – the football match was merely an excuse to exact revenge on the Chief Inspector.

“In the last few weeks, Filippo had acted as a key witness in the trial of a Catania Ultra’ accused of violence in the last derby at Palermo. He was the one who nailed him, reconstructing the events of another nightmare evening,” explained police colleague Claudio Anzalone.

“Filippo told me how things unfolded. That lad, who got a suspended sentence, left the court laughing at him and hurling insults. Now this incident could really mean something, even if nobody listened to our warnings before.”

This theory would fit in with the sequence of events on Friday evening at the Stadio Massimino.

The Palermo fans did not arrive until the second half and it was here that the trouble erupted, when Catania supporters waiting outside the stadium began their ambush.

Raciti, one of the policemen escorting the visiting fans, was struck in the chest by a rock and then a homemade bomb was thrown at his car.

“We can confirm that there was no involvement of the Rosanero fans,” said Catania police chief Ignazio Fonzo.

“The riot was solely created by pseudo-Catania supporters, real delinquents with a premeditated action of extreme violence. It’s a little early to talk today about a premeditated and targeted murder, however.”

More evidence suggests this may have been revenge for the last Sicilian derby, won 5-3 by Palermo at the Stadio Barbera on September 20.

Raciti had been placed in a desk job for the past few months, but became restless and at his request was returned to duty at football matches just over a week ago.

The tension expected in the derby may well have given the criminals the perfect excuse to commit murder disguised as football-related violence.

Last night the police raided several different Catania fan clubs to weed out the more hardline elements. So far 22 people are under arrest.

These ultra hools are absolutely pathetic.

Apparently the powers that be in Italy - including the internal affairs ministry - are discussing the following moves;

- At least 15 day break, then games will start again from where they left off.

- First dates back to be played behind closed doors.

- Pisanu Decree to be introduced early, which would include turnstyles at entrances and tickets with names.

- No away supporters' groups allowed to travel between cities.

- For dangerous games, it's suggested avoiding nights and playing possibly mornings.

- 'Rapid' transfer of ownership of the stadia from councils to clubs.

- Also looking at strengthening the judicial system so violent offenders don't get off as easily as they currently do.

I get this feeling they aint gonna do much...

[Jesus]

from theworldgame

Italian clubs will be forced to play behind closed doors until their stadia meet current safety standards, Italy's interior minister Giuliano Amato has announced.

All domestic and international matches in the country have been postponed indefinitely after crowd unrest left a police officer dead and many others hurt following Friday's Sicilian derby between Catania and Palermo.

Amato met with football authorities on Monday following the funeral of 38-year-old Filippo Raciti, and revealed a ban may be imposed on fans being allowed into some grounds in the country.

"We will not allow fans to go into a stadium that does not respect the current safety norms," Amato said.

"In stadia like that of Catania I will not admit anyone, I am firm on this. That game shouldn't have been played."

"Hence, only those stadia that meet the security norms will reopen to the fans, the other stadia will be used to play in but without fans until they meet guidelines."

"Our current norms are efficient if followed."

It is understood that only five stadia in Italy are currently acceptable in both Serie A and Serie B - the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, the Artemio Franchi in Siena, the Stadio Olimpico in Turin, Renzo Barbera in Palermo and Bologna's Renato Dall'Ara.

Other grounds, such as the San Siro in Milan, do not fall far short of the guidelines, which would allow fans to enter the stadium.

Authorities are set to meet again on Wednesday to hold further talks to discuss stadium security and try to reach a decision on which games will be played - if any - this weekend

[dibo (pron. "DIB-OH")]

faaaaaaark...

the parliament and the FIGC actually doing something eh? miraculous.

[Pete]

Id' guess they'd have to do something themselves, Dibo, or otherwise UEFA and FIFA might have been compelled to do something - which would have been worse. Better to solve the problems yourself (internally and self regulated) than have the peak bodies get involved and come down with suspensions from inter European comps and other sanctions.

[Jesus]

Maldini has come out saying that they are better off not playing a week than playing behind closed doors. He wants the new security improvements, but feels playing behind closed doors will kill them game.

[Pete]

jesus said:

Maldini has come out saying that they are better off not playing a week than playing behind closed doors. He wants the new security improvements, but feels playing behind closed doors will kill them game.

No kidding! They (Italian Football) should have thought of that before the whole situation degenerated to this level and the call for stadia to comply with safety standards. Have no sympathy for them, last year was corruption, this year it's violence and poor safety standards at stadia. Seems they roll from one catastrophe to another.

[dru]

petethebusdriver said:

jesus said:

Maldini has come out saying that they are better off not playing a week than playing behind closed doors. He wants the new security improvements, but feels playing behind closed doors will kill them game.

No kidding! They (Italian Football) should have thought of that before the whole situation degenerated to this level and the call for stadia to comply with safety standards. Have no sympathy for them, last year was corruption, this year it's violence and poor safety standards at stadia. Seems they roll from one catastrophe to another.

Well we now know where Jets management went for training on how to run a football team

[Jesus]

have you read what this topic is about?