Press reaction

The Italian media reacted with shock and disgust on Saturday to the death of a policeman during violence at the Sicilian derby on Friday night, an event which has prompted the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) to suspend all football indefinitely.

The headline in the Corriere Dello Sport read: "He died in war", while an editorial in the newspaper said "too many years have been wasted" in failing to act with the problem sooner.

The Gazzetta Dello Sport front page read: "Catania, 21.00, a policeman is killed. Football shuts down". It also questioned what entered the minds of fans who became engaged in riots, asking how apparently ordinary people could turn to violence when they enter a football stadium.

All the other local papers around the country also led with the story including Tuttosport, the Turin-based newspaper screamed this was "Enough!".

La Nazione newspaper quoted Sergio Campana, President of the Italian Footballers's Association (AIC), as saying that the suspension of football should last up to a year while the problems are dealt with properly.

The headline of the local newspaper, La Sicilia, read: "Tragedy at the Massimino - a policeman dies and football stops."

La Repubblica newspaper spoke of Italy being in "shock" and Il Messaggero described the events as "madness".

Source: Football365