ITALIAN FOOTBALL SUSPENDED !!!!!!!

Z[i]zou|| · Division 2 Novice

ITALIAN FOOTBALL SUSPENDED !!!!!!!
Football in Italy has been suspended after a police officer was killed during serious trouble at the Sicilian derby between Catania and Palermo.
The policeman, named as Filippo Raciti, was 38.
According to reports, he was struck in the face by a small explosive while attempting to deal with fighting outside the stadium. He was taken to hospital but died from his injuries.

The Italian football federation held an emergency meeting on Friday evening announced an immediate suspension of football.

"I have demanded a stop to all activity of football in Italy," Pancalli said in a statement. "Enough is enough."

"It's a situation that I cannot speak of. To lose your life at 38 is incredible. This is not a sport."

Speaking at a hastily-arranged press conference in Rome, Pancalli said the suspension would remain in place indefinitely.

"The football tournaments will remain suspended until we solve the violence in our football," he said. "It's unacceptable that such incidents happen in a country like Italy."

Italy were hoping to host the European Championships in 2012.

"At this moment I'm not thinking about (the euro bid) but should we lose our Euro 2012 bid because of this situation, we would deserve to lose it," Pancalli added.

Italy's national team was due to play Romania in Siena on Wednesday (Thursday morning AEDT) but that game - and the under-21 fixture against Belgium in Chieti a day earlier - will not go ahead as things stand.

The president of the Italian Olympic Committee, Gianni Petrucci, has backed the FIGC's decision to suspend all football activity, and Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi added his voice to those calling for action to be taken to stop the trouble.

"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."

Around 100 people were reported to be injured - some seriously - after fighting erupted in the build-up to the game at the Angelo Massimino Stadium.

Trouble continued throughout the evening, with the game suspended for around 30 minutes at one stage.

Palermo won the match 2-1 but players and staff were held in the stadium by police after the game while the area was secured.

They reacted with disgust to the news that the officer had died.

Palermo coach Francesco Guidolin said: "I am extremely disappointed. Things cannot continue like this."

"We didn't know anything. We had to go back to the changing rooms because we couldn't breathe. If we cannot get into our heads that football is a sport we cannot live in the world of football."

"What has happened tonight offends sport and a beautiful city like Catania."

Club president Maurizio Zamparini added: "This evening no one has won. We have all lost. These people are not fans, but are delinquents that in other countries like England would have been arrested and seriously punished."

"Unfortunately in Italy these things are still allowed to happen. We need more severe laws."

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.

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."

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

this just emphasises my point even more... about how F***** Italian football is... racism(nazi flag's at roma game), match fixing , only the big clubs get large sums of money for tv rights, most of the stadiums r old and out dated... italian football is f****d ... im glad im not italian(harsh comment but my opinion) is all i can say...i have never liked italian football... and this incident will make sure i neva do.

doggiedog · Division 1 Rookie

the fan who threw the explosive should be found and charged with murder after all thats what he did
Italian football is in a mess now after the scandal and fan violence
read a few days ago that they were thinking of banning it and i guess this incident was the final nail in the coffin for italian football, dont know how they will recover to the hights they were through the 90's and the early 2000's

TGL:CBKoE · Moderator

OMFG....i heard about this on Sky Sports News...& i have to say, its terrible, the brits aint the football hoogins, its the italian's, @ heysel, a itilan pulled out a gun & thats how it all started, well alright @ WC 98/Euro 2000, the english where rowdy, but thats was done via Beer, so the italy FA, where right to stop all football, its just bloody terrible, nothin like this should happen, even Arsenal Vs Manchester United matchesr BIG, but there aint no violence, even England Vs Germany, No violence involed, only in italy it would happen!

Z[i]zou|| · Division 2 Novice

615 views ?!?! and only 2 comments

... *sheds tear*.. how sad ? nobody gets cricitsed on this website no1 is gonna kill u for sayen wat u think IMO this was a big story and deserved more then 2 comments... just put ur input in... put ur opinion in, get sum friendly banter going wit some1 else... etc..etc..

TGL:CBKoE · Moderator

Z[i]zou|| · Division 2 Novice

nah man im to lazy.... if u not wat it means thats good enuff

TGL:CBKoE · Moderator

LOL.....i used to use Chat Speak...but i rarely do now..maybe you can TRY

Z[i]zou|| · Division 2 Novice

goin away from the topic but u no wat i mean eh ? i wanst tryin to bring that topic back i was makin a point so many ppl looked at it(600+) and only 2 ppl commented.