NationStates Jolt Archive

Following harsh riots - almost guerrilla-like - in Catania (Sicily) between the hooligans of the local soccer team and of the host team, Palermo, and following the death of a police officer - killed by a home-made bomb fired by hooligans, the Italian Olympic Commitee has shut down ALL soccer leagues sine die, waiting for tougher measures from the government and from the italian League of Soccer Teams.
While both government and parliament seem to support tougher anti-hooligan policy (the English model has been quoted often in the last two days by politicians of all parties), the League of Soccer Teams says that's it's unjust to punish all soccer teams because of the hooligans of two teams only, and also claims that the lost incomes will spell death for the italian soccer.
In the last years, supporters of many italian teams have showed increasingly violent behaviour at national and even international matches, like in a Champions League match between Internazionale and Milan, when some of the Inter hooligans dropped a moped on the supporters of the other team. A week ago, in southern Italy, the administrator of an amateurs' soccer club was beaten to death by the supporters of the opposed team at the end of the match. Swastikas, fascist salutes, racist and extreme right-wing slogans have become a common sight throughout all soccer stadia.
Interior minister Amato - responsible of police - has declared that no police will be sent anymore to monitor soccer matches until the situation changes.

Your thoughts? Ok to stop all soccer until security gets tougher? Or maybe just the teams with the most violent supporters? Are hooligans to be arrested?

I would support even a year-long stop to all soccer, hoping it will work. Hooligans in jail etc, ok for me. Soccer hooligans have crossed the border too many times. And soccer teams carry some responsibility for fueling them, too.

So the non-hooligans should be deprived of their activities due to the idiots?

This makes no sense at all. Harsher police measures against the hooligans make more sense.

Arrest & prosecute those who are causing trouble.

Ban them for a year - can't buy season tickets, have their pictures at the ground entries, make them widely known to police at the grounds, etc.

If they're repeat offenders, ban them for life.

Sanction the clubs if their supporters behave badly. Fines, point deductions, suspension from European competitions, and even complete suspension from all league & cup competitions for a year or more if a club can't/won't control their supporters.

I think cancelling the leagues completely is too harsh, but if people continue to be killed, then maybe a year off is the only answer.

The Italian football administration needs to show that it's really serious, and back it up with firm action, otherwise nothing will change.

So the non-hooligans should be deprived of their activities due to the idiots?


It's a temporary measure, although sine die.

could you imgnine the out cry form Uefa and Fifa if i had happened in England

They should search all thoose that come in and remove anything that looks like a weapon and also if they cause trouble ban the idiots from gonig to watching Matches at all stadiums

All seater stadiums, more stewards, less police and getting rid of those Iron railings. If people feel like they are trapped in a cage they will act like it.

It seems that this was football hooliganism against police not against rival fans

The prosecutor accused Catania fans of ambushing police.

"These actions took place when the game was over and the Palermo fans were no longer there," Papa said. "The ambush was not against Palermo fans - it was against police officers."


http://sport.independent.co.uk/football/european/article2237683.ece

all sports fuel violence simply because there are idiots who on't realise that it is just a game.

all sports fuel violence simply because there are idiots who on't realise that it is just a game.

Idiots fuel violence by their sheer existance.

Everyone knows sports are there to replace war and competition. YOu can see why those fuckers are behaving like they do because their country economy sucks.

Everyone knows sports are there to replace war and competition. YOu can see why those fuckers are behaving like they do because their country economy sucks.

From CIA world factbook

GDP per capita:
20 Australia $ 32,900 2006 est.
21 Finland $ 32,800 2006 est.
22 Belgium $ 31,800 2006 est.
23 Netherlands $ 31,700 2006 est.
24 Sweden $ 31,600 2006 est.
25 Germany $ 31,400 2006 est.
26 United Kingdom $ 31,400 2006 est.
27 Faroe Islands $ 31,000 2001 est.
28 Singapore $ 30,900 2006 est.
29 France $ 30,100 2006 est.
30 Italy $ 29,700 2006 est.
31 Qatar $ 29,400 2006 est.
32 European Union $ 29,300 2006 est.
33 Taiwan $ 29,000 2006 est.
34 Gibraltar $ 27,900 2000 est.
35 Isle of Man $ 27,800 2003 est.
36 Monaco $ 27,000 2000 est.
37 Spain $ 27,000 2006 est.
38 Israel $ 26,200 2006 est.
39 New Zealand $ 26,000 2006 est.
40 Bahrain $ 25,300 2006 est.

Overall GDP
1 World $ 65,000,000,000,000 2006 est.
2 United States $ 12,980,000,000,000 2006 est.
3 European Union $ 12,820,000,000,000 2006 est.
4 China $ 10,000,000,000,000 2006 est.
5 Japan $ 4,220,000,000,000 2006 est.
6 India $ 4,042,000,000,000 2006 est.
7 Germany $ 2,585,000,000,000 2006 est.
8 United Kingdom $ 1,903,000,000,000 2006 est.
9 France $ 1,871,000,000,000 2006 est.
10 Italy $ 1,727,000,000,000 2006 est.
11 Russia $ 1,723,000,000,000 2006 est.
12 Brazil $ 1,616,000,000,000 2006 est.
13 Korea, South $ 1,180,000,000,000 2006 est.
14 Canada $ 1,165,000,000,000 2006 est.
15 Mexico $ 1,134,000,000,000 2006 est.
16 Spain $ 1,070,000,000,000 2006 est.
17 Indonesia $ 935,000,000,000 2006 est.
18 Taiwan $ 668,300,000,000 2006 est.
19 Australia $ 666,300,000,000 2006 est.
20 Turkey $ 627,200,000,000 2006 est.

I don't think that Italian economy sucks. Sadly, we don't have that excuse. It must be something else.
For example, NZ has a lower GPD per capita, yet NZers aren't famous for hooligans.

So the non-hooligans should be deprived of their activities due to the idiots?

This makes no sense at all. Harsher police measures against the hooligans make more sense.

This is sort of the adult version of the teacher punishing the entire class because of one person's misbehavior. It sucks but maybe the non-hooligan fans will pressure the hooligans to knock it off. After all, folks, a man was killed.