ALL ITALIAN FOOTBALL CANCELLED

[TheArsenal]

The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has called off all this weekend's Serie A and Serie B games after a policeman was killed at a match on Friday.

Officer Filippo Raciti died as violence flared during the Serie A game between Sicilian rivals Catania and Palermo.

FIGC has also cancelled Italy's friendly with Romania on Wednesday and all matches until a solution is found.

Commissioner Luca Pancalli said: "What we're witnessing has nothing to do with soccer, so Italian soccer is stopping."

He added that the decision to stop the games for the duration of the weekend was not enough, and said there would be more meetings on Monday "to identify those drastic measures that will allow us to restart. Otherwise, we're not restarting the games."

The game was already given an early time slot on Friday because of fears over public safety.

The derby game was suspended after an hour when tear gas, used by police to break up the fighting outside the ground, drifted onto the field.

There was fighting outside the ground, reported ANSA news agency, because Palermo fans could not get into Catania's Stadio Massimino until the second half.

The two teams fled the pitch for the dressing-room, with the game suspended for 30 minutes.

Prior to kick-off, a minute's silence had been held following the death of a club official from lower league club Sammartinese at a game last weekend.

Atfer the match, fans continued to fight running battles with police on the streets outside the stadium and around 100 people were being treated for injuries.

The federation said that another police officer was in critical condition, and police said dozens of people with lesser injuries had been taken to local hospitals.

Catania club executive Pietro Lo Monaco reacted to news of the officer's death by announcing he would leave football.

"I've heard that a policeman has died," he said. "To speak of football right now seems useless. For me this is the end. I will leave the football world.

"I don't recognise myself in this world anymore. I have loved football intensely but after this right now it seems absurd."

Palermo coach Francesco Guidolin was quick to blame Catania fans for the violence.

"We won the match, but we cannot enjoy this victory," said Guidolin. "Football cannot last for much longer like this. There will be no joy in it."

The Catania prosecutor's office has announced an investigation into the incident.

Italian prime minister Romano Prodi also issued a statement.

"After the serious incidents that occurred tonight in Catania, my first thought is for the people that have been affected and for their families," he said.

"I feel a duty to say that we need a strong and clear signal to avoid the degeneration of this sport which we are seeing more dramatically and more often."

Palermo had taken the lead through Andrea Caracciolo, but Catania equalised within 60 seconds of the teams coming back out thanks to Fabio Caserta.

Palermo won the game with a controversial David di Michele goal in the 83rd minute.

[The Sultan of Swank]

Well the Italian league has what? 4 teams who've lost points for match fixing. I think the whole league needs a bit of a fixing.

[therockbox]

A week, and then whatever punishment is handed out will be reduced on appeal.

[Lord Nibbler]

"Players urge year-long suspension Friday 2 February, 2007

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Players’ Association has urged the suspension of Italian football Leagues for a whole year after the latest tragic incidents.

“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.

A 38-year-old policeman was killed in the battles with Catania supporters following Palermo’s 2-1 victory at the Stadio Massimino.

At the moment it is unclear when the fixture list will resume, but the Players Association is urging for a definitive stance.

“I think that faced with these events, football should stop for a year and see if we can change our whole approach to sport,” continued Campana.

“We have for some time been pointing out that there are weekly attacks on players because they lose a game. This means the very culture of sport in this country is wrong. Right when football is trying to rediscover its credibility after Calciopoli, this sort of thing leaves us dumbfounded.”

The last time Serie A ground to a halt over fan violence was on February 5, 1995, when Genoa supporter Vincenzo Spagnolo was stabbed to death ahead of a match against Milan.

“The death of a policeman in Catania and the many injuries as a result of this riot is a disturbing turn of events that calls for drastic measures,” said Minister for Sport Giovanna Melandri.

“The Government will no longer tolerate the need for thousands of police officers in every match to ensure the safety of its citizens. Along with the Home Office Minister Giuliano Amato, we consider the suspension of the next round of games to be an opportune decision by the FIGC.

“The Government and the world of sport must come together now to make sure the Leagues begin again in a totally different way.”

The Sicilian derby was the final straw in a situation that has been growing in the peninsula.

In March 2004 the Rome derby was abandoned at half-time after reports – which later proved to be false – suggested a child had been run over and killed by a police van outside the Stadio Olimpico. This claim prompted extreme tension and riots.

The most tragic incident was only last week, when Sammartinese director Ermanno Licursi died from a brain haemorrhage when a fight broke out between opposition players in the Calabrian amateur League. It emerged he had been kicked in the head."

(Channel 4)

[gunnar hendershow]

They should just do with the Italian leagues what they did with English leagues when they made the Premiership.

[Iain76er]

They should just do with the Italian leagues what they did with English leagues when they made the Premiership.

[lanky316]

Changed the name of the top division?

Really don't know wat that'll doto improve the Italian leagues

[Thomas]

Italian fans are so so shit. Makes me wonder why Johnny Perfect wants to be one. They should scrap the shitty, cheating, pink-wearing, diving league for a year and let everyone go out on loan to a better league.

[gunnar hendershow]

Changed the name of the top division?

Really don't know wat that'll doto improve the Italian leagues

Nooo, they don't need to change the name. They just to introduce more money to the league, make it more prestigious financially and this will allow them to work on cutting down the other problems of the league. Keep in mind hooliganism was a lot worse before the FA went out and fixed the many problems Division One had.

[therockbox]

No, they need to crack down on the idiots that go out and do this. The Italian FA is a joke, that's the problem. Juventus got off lightly, and remember when Paulo Di Canio was given a tiny fine for a racist gesture? The dirty Italians know there'll be no punishment, which is why they have these problems.

[IAceI]

Good. It's a shite league anyways, fucking diving pussies.

[Cactus Drags]

Changed the name of the top division?

Really don't know wat that'll doto improve the Italian leagues

Nooo, they don't need to change the name. They just to introduce more money to the league, make it more prestigious financially and this will allow them to work on cutting down the other problems of the league. Keep in mind hooliganism was a lot worse before the FA went out and fixed the many problems Division One had.

[Thomas]

To be fair, he's from America. Hi Dragon.

[GA!]

No, they need to crack down on the idiots that go out and do this. The Italian FA is a joke, that's the problem. Juventus got off lightly, and remember when Paulo Di Canio was given a tiny fine for a racist gesture? The dirty Italians know there'll be no punishment, which is why they have these problems.

Wasn't that proven to be a sly photographer with the ability to take 100 photos a minute that got Di Canio as he had his fist up in celebration and it got took out of context?

[therockbox]

You tell me.

[GA!]

"...And white guys, they drive like this:"

Edited February 4, 2007 by God-Awful

[therockbox]

Some of Mr. Di Canio's finer moments >_>

[The Third Dukes]

Can we all just agree that Italy is a corrupt wasteland and leave it at that? I mean, they invented organized crime, for heaven's sake.

I think damshow is half-right. They need to do to Italy what happened to England, and that is suspend Italy from UEFA for a length of time until they prove they're under control again.

[Lord Nibbler]

No, they need to crack down on the idiots that go out and do this. The Italian FA is a joke, that's the problem. Juventus got off lightly, and remember when Paulo Di Canio was given a tiny fine for a racist gesture? The dirty Italians know there'll be no punishment, which is why they have these problems.

Wasn't that proven to be a sly photographer with the ability to take 100 photos a minute that got Di Canio as he had his fist up in celebration and it got took out of context?

[The Third Dukes]

A column from Agence France-Presse:

Time for action not just words after violence claims another life

by Stefano Blin

February 3, 2007

ROME (AFP) - Promises to come down hard on the football hooligans have so far fallen short, but how many more people need to die before Italy finally deals with a sickness that is killing its favourite sport?

On Friday all professional and amateur football championships were suspended until further notice following the death of a policeman after the highly-charged Serie A match between Sicilian rivals Catania and Palermo.

Filippo Raciti died after a home-made bomb was thrown into his car as police officers came under attack from Catania fans outside the Massimino stadium.

Raciti's death follows the murder last Saturday of Ermanno Licursi, a director of Calabria-based amateur team Sammartinese who suffered a brain haemorrhage after being kicked in the face by a fan of rival team Cancellese.

Italy is struggling to contain the violence, but Italian football federation president Luca Pancalli, who was brought in to clean up the sport's image following the Serie A match-fixing scandal, is promising swift and decisive action.

"The suspension will remain in place until sufficient measures have been taken to restore calm," Pancalli said.

"I stand by my decision to call a halt to football. My conscience left me with no other choice.

"Football needs to pull together and make sure incidents like this never happen again."

Italy coach Roberto Donadoni believes the hooliganism should have been properly dealt with years ago.

"We don't practice what we preach," said Donadoni whose team's friendly against Romania next Wednesday was also called off.

"We've been talking about these incidents for years and they still keep on happening.

"Too often we talk too much and now concrete steps must be taken."

Italy's Olympic Committee (CONI), which oversees the activities of all sports federations, are holding an emergency meeting on Sunday while Pancalli will meet Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi on Monday.

Legislation to try and clamp down on the violence was introduced over a year ago, including named tickets, more CCTV cameras, extra stewards and stringent body searches.

But many clubs have failed to meet the criteria set by the government and the trouble has continued up and down the country every week.

In Italy, many stadiums are owned by the local council and rented out to the clubs, so the clubs are reluctant to spend money on improving security.

Despite behind banned, flares, bottles and offensive banners are seen regularly at matches, clear evidence that searches are not being properly carried out.

Some of the security measures have simply moved the trouble outside the stadiums and onto the streets.

Italian football has been plagued by violence in recent years.

In March 2004 the Rome derby between Lazio and Roma was abandoned at half-time because of crowd trouble inside and outside the Olympic stadium.

The unrest erupted after a rumour, which later proved to be false, went around that a young Roma fan had been run over and killed by a police car outside the ground.

Later that year Roma fans were once again in the spotlight.

The Champions League match between Roma and Dynamo Kiev was abandoned at half time after Swedish referee Anders Frisk was hit by an object thrown from the crowd.

In April 2005 the Champions League quarter-final, second leg between Inter and AC Milan was abandoned in the 73rd minute after Inter fans threw dozens of flares onto the San Siro pitch. One of them struck and injured Milan goalkeeper, Nelson Dida.

Football-related violence in Italy has claimed the lives of 12 people since 1962.