Fiorentina rush Franchi work

Fiorentina will revolutionise the Stadio Artemio Franchi in future, but for the moment they will be content to rush through work so that the season ticket holders can return.

"We will speed up the process to allow at least the season ticket holders to enter the stadium," explained patron Andrea Della Valle.

The Florence arena is not one of the six in Italy that passed the Legge Pisanu requirements, so must play behind closed doors until it is brought up to standard.

However, while nearby Livorno have protested at the new laws, Fiorentina concede that locking out all supporters was a necessary step following the death of Chief Inspector Filippo Raciti in Catania.

"We will adapt to the decisions made by the Government, as a strong signal had to be given. I believe these laws are very important. Of course, the errors of the few have unfortunately fallen on to the shoulders of the real fans and that is a very sad situation."

Like many of the stadiums in the peninsula, the Artemio Franchi was kept open by a local council order extending the deadline for restructuring work.

"Our part of the work will be completed within a few weeks. The authorities had given us time until June to resolve those issues, but unfortunately the drastic measures leave us below the required standard. In future, though, we will work to make the Franchi more modern and even better."

They certainly won’t be ready for this weekend, when Fiorentina face Udinese in front of empty stands.

"Right now we must safeguard the squad, but it won’t be easy for them to return after a long break without the support of the fans,” concluded Della Valle."

Source: C4 Football Italia

REFLECTION: Calcio crisis

Italy should learn from England as it looks to rebuild its tattered reputation, according to an expert on Italian football stadia.

Italian football is due to kick off again this weekend after games at all levels were postponed following the death of a policeman at a Serie A match between Catania and Palermo on 2 February.

Even so, many of the matches will take place in empty stadia due to new anti-hooligan measures introduced by Italy's government.

Even the renowned San Siro stadium, home to league leaders Internazionale and rivals AC Milan, is deemed unsuitable by the new regulations, although emergency works are being carried out at the 80,000 ground to try and allow some season-ticket holders to attend.

Milan host Livorno on Sunday, while four other Serie A matches will also be played behind closed doors.

According to Tijs Tummers, co-author of the recently published An Illustrated History of Stadi d'Italia the death of policeman Filippo Raciti should be Italy's wake up call just as Hillsborough was for England.

The deaths of 96 Liverpool fans in 1989 heralded a massive programme of stadium renovation in England that has virtually eradicated the problem of football hooliganism in England.

But because Italy hosted the World Cup in 1990 and its programme of stadium rebuilding was almost completed in 1989 it missed out on many of the satefy features that became compulsory in England.

"Italian stadia are beautiful architecturally but their golden era was in the 1930s under the dictator Benito Mussolini," Tummers told BBC Sport. "They're great to look from the outside but they offer no comfort for the modern supporter.

"After the Hillsborough disaster English grounds began to attract a different type of fan - they were places where you would feel comfortable taking your child or wife.

"But in Italy the atmosphere is that you don't feel as though you have been lucky to get a ticket for the game.

"Matches aren't sold out and there's a lot of space between the pitch and the supporters.

"When you go to the toilet it's dark and the accesses are badly lit, while it is not easy to get a cup of coffee.

"The tifosi have become more involved fighting with other supporters. It has become more of a battle between two cities, rather than a game of football between two teams.

"Even if your team has lost on the pitch, if you win in the stands then you've still got something to cheer about."

In the past Italian clubs had little incentive to renovate their grounds, partly because the stadia are usually owned by the city council and partly because they receive huge sums of money from television rights.

"For Italian clubs the real pride is in their training ground," added Tummers. "AC Milan's Milanello is a state-of-the art training facility, but that is not the case for the San Siro.

"The clubs have just forgotten about the supporters. They get so much money from television rights that for the clubs it's not a must for the fans to be in the stadium.

"Football has become a television sport and average attendances in Serie A have slipped to below 20,000. They used to be 38,000."

Tummers believes Italy should also introduce stewarding to help control fans. "I can't ever remember seeing a steward at an Italian game, whereas in England, Germany and Holland, stewarding has been a real help," said Tummers.

With the latest crisis endangering Italy's Euro 2012 bid, Italian clubs must think radically if they are to restore confidence to Serie A and Serie B.

"They have to start from scratch," said Tummers. "At the moment they are playing in monuments. They need stadiums without an athletic track and that have a modern and friendly environment.

"They should build new stadia that are buildings that are open for the whole week and not just at the weekend, where people can eat and drink from Monday to Friday. You have to treat fans like clients and not hooligans.

"Italian clubs could also learn from English clubs' social programmes. Serie A clubs could do a lot more work with inner-city youngsters."

Source: John Sinnott, BBC Sport Online

San Siro race against time

Milan are working day and night to get 28 turnstiles put in place so they can let the season ticket holders in to Sunday’s game against Livorno.

The Stadio Giuseppe Meazza – also known as San Siro – was not among the six arenas cleared to open under the new anti-violence laws, but their work is nearing completion.

"We are setting up 28 turnstiles on the old entrance to guarantee entrance on Sunday of at least 50,000 fans," explained security chief Giovanni Terzi.

"The deadline for the local council inspection of the ground is on Saturday morning at 10am, so both clubs are working through the night to make sure the stadium can let supporters in, even if for the moment that’s only season ticket holders."

Although San Siro does not have the electronic ticketing service, Adriano Galliani is confident the new turnstiles will be enough to open its gates this weekend.

"It’s not an issue of being optimistic or pessimistic, as with 28 turnstiles manned for personal ticket checks, I think we’ll be alright," commented the Milan vice-President.

"We’re not asking for a full clean bill of health from the Government, but just for the season ticket holders to be able to get what they paid to see. I hope we can do this, because the city of Milan doesn’t deserve such a slap in the face."

To date only six stadiums in all of Italy have passed the new Legge Pisanu guidelines – in Siena, Cagliari, Palermo, Turin, Genoa and Rome.

"Rome’s Stadio Olimpico remains open with 50 turnstiles for 80,000 people," added security chief Terzi.

"If Milan are therefore turned down with the added 28 turnstiles, then in my view something has to be investigated. San Siro is also the only stadium ready for a European Championship match without needing further work, so it is a secure arena."

Source: C4 Football Italia

Livorno's UEFA Cup tie behind closed doors

UEFA have confirmed that Livorno's UEFA Cup tie at home to Spain's Espanyol on Wednesday will be played behind closed doors.

The Stadio Armando Picchi does not fall in line with new security regulations introduced in Italy after a policeman was killed by rioting fans in Sicily last Friday.

UEFA said it would seek clarification next week on Parma's Stadio Ennio Tardini which is also not on the approved list.

Parma are at home for the second leg of their last 32 tie against Portugal's FC Braga on February 22.

Source: Reuters

Family values for Palermo

Palermo are pushing family values as the solution to the country's crowd violence problems as they prepare to host Empoli in one of only five games in Serie A that will have fans present on Sunday.

The Stadio Renzo Barbera has passed the safety test but the Rosaneri are still dumbfounded by the events that surrounded the club's 2-1 win over fellow Sicilians Catania last weekend.

The death of policeman Filippo Raciti and much of the violence looks to have been caused by Catania supporters but Palermo are still in shock.

Defender Andrea Barzagli, a member of Italy's World Cup winning squad, is advocating tough action against troublesome fans. Barzagli told the club's official website: "The image of Italy has certainly suffered a major blow after the World Cup win had made disappear what had happened at the end of last season."

Barzagli was referring to the Calciopoli scandal that severely tarnished Italian football before the Azzurri triumphed in Germany.

"What has happened is very serious but the people who did it have nothing to do with our world," said Barzagli. "They are people who go to the stadium only to cause trouble.

"Having to watch guerrilla warfare like that in 2007 - and who knows what caused it? - is really crazy. We have to come down hard on people who come to the game only to cause tension and violence."

Meanwhile, club President Maurizio Zamparini believes that "mamma power" is the secret to curbing misbehaviour. This week Zamparini launched a ticketing scheme that will give free admission to children under 16 accompanied by a parent.

One of the troubling aspects of the Catania violence was that much of it seems to have been caused by teenagers and Zamparini believes the presence of the parents is likely to curb and temptation by supporters to misbehave.

Midfielder Giovanni Tedesco has even suggested that Raciti's family should be invited to a Palermo game and that the policeman's young children should be given a Palermo shirt to wear in Catania as a symbol of a new alliance between supporters of the rival club.

Source: Sporting Life

UEFA postpone stadio decisions

UEFA will wait until next week before confirming which Italian stadiums will be allowed to host European games this term.

Footballing activities at all levels will resume this weekend after the suspension due to the riots in Catania last Friday, but only six Serie A stadiums were given the green light by the Government to reopen to spectators.

All the other arenas, including San Siro, will remain closed until the necessary renovation work required is complete.

"We have been informed by Italian officials about the situation involving their stadiums," said UEFA spokesman William Gaillard.

"We will analyse the information submitted and we will decide next week," added the official.

"Milan, Inter and Livorno are under exam, although it seems that the list of stadiums which meet the safety norms often changes.

"We will try to find the best possible solutions for all the parties involved, but that might include playing some home matches away from the Italian club's stadium.

"Playing behind closed doors would penalise all supporters."

Milan are allegedly looking for an alternative venue to host the March 7 Champions League match with Celtic.

They have already been approached by Newcastle and Geneva, even if Lega Calcio chief Antonio Matarrese last night insisted that both Milan clubs would not emigrate.

Inter were rumoured to be pondering a temporary move to Genoa for their Valencia last 16 clash.

Source: C4 Football Italia

Violence leaves scar across Europe

Italian football is set to resume this weekend after last week's suspension following the death of a policeman at a match in Sicily.

Following is a short chronology of some major incidents of football-related violence at club and international level:

May 1984: A Tottenham Hotspur supporter is shot dead in a Brussels bar before the first leg of the UEFA Cup final against Anderlecht.

May 1985: Heysel Stadium disaster in Brussels. 39 people, mainly Italians, die as a result of rioting before Liverpool's European Cup final against Juventus.

January 1991: A 16-year-old boy is killed in clashes between fans during a Greek first-division match between AEK Athens and Olympiakos.

January 1995: Italian sports authorities suspend all national sport scheduled for the following Sunday after the killing of a young Genoa fan before a game with AC Milan.

March 1995: A 17-year-old fan is killed in a fight after a Turkish first-division derby match between Fenerbahce and Galatasaray.

August 1995: A Turkish supporter of Sakaryaspor is killed after being hit by a stone thrown by followers of Duzcespor.

March 1997: An Ajax fan is killed in a pre-arranged battle with supporters of Feyenoord in the Netherlands.

March 1998: A fan is killed in fighting following a match between English sides Gillingham and Fulham.

October 1999: A fan is killed as Red Star followers rip up thousands of seats and clash with riot police after a 2-0 defeat by Belgrade rivals Partizan.

April 2000: Two Leeds United fans are stabbed to death in Istanbul before a UEFA Cup semi-final against Galatasaray.

April 2001: A 25-year-old German dies from head wounds sustained as he tries to escape from rioting fans at a friendly match between amateur side Darmstadt 98 and first-division Eintracht Frankfurt.

June 2002: A man is stabbed to death and drunken fans riot in Moscow when Russia lose a World Cup game in Japan.

March 2003: One Polish fan is killed and 120 are arrested after street battles during a second-division match in the south-western city of Wroclaw.

November 2006 - A policeman shoots dead one man and injures another while under attack from Paris Saint Germain fans who were chasing a Jewish supporter of Israeli team Hapoel Tel Aviv at a UEFA Cup match in France.

February 2007 - A weekend football programme in Italy is suspended after a policeman is killed during fan clashes at a Serie A Sicilian derby match between Catania and Palermo.

Source: Reuters

Coppa Italia Finals switched, Wk 22 rescheduled

The Lega Calcio have confirmed that both legs of the Coppa Italia Final between Roma and Inter will now take place in May.

The two teams, who have come up against each other in the last two Finals, will meet on Wednesday May 9 (in Rome) and Thursday May 17 (in Milan).

The Olimpico leg was initially pencilled in for April 18, but that night will now host the rearranged Week 22 games which were postponed last weekend.

Ironically, Inter and Roma were set to meet at the San Siro in a Scudetto showdown before last Friday night’s riots in Catania.

The Serie B Week 22 games which were called off last Saturday will now kick off on Tuesday April 17.

Coppa Italia Final rescheduled >>>
Serie A/B Week 22 rescheduled >>>

Football Italia

A minute’s silence for Licursi and Raciti

It has been confirmed that at grounds across the country, a minute’s silence will be observed to commemorate the loss of Sanmartinese director Ermanno Licersi two weeks ago and police inspector Filippo Raciti who dies following the riots in Catania last week.

The decision was made by FIGC commissioner Luca Pancalli. "A minute's silence to commemorate the deaths of Sammartinese official Licursi and police inspector Raciti will be observed at all Serie A, B, C, amateur, academy and school pitches during the next round of the championship."

Source: FIGC

Spalletti sees 'fair' championship

Roma coach Luciano Spalletti has dismissed claims that the championship will be falsified by the closure of some stadiums.

Sceptics over the Government’s decision to only open arenas which fulfil Legge Pisanu requirements had suggested that sides like Roma – whose Olimpico fits the bill – would be advantaged by fan support.

But Spalletti, whose second placed Giallorossi outfit are 11 points behind Inter, insists it will not affect Serie A results.

"I am aware that restarting the campaign with some stadia shut to fans can create an anomalous situation, but I don’t believe the season would be falsified," he argued. "There are other things which would make the championship irregular."

Serie A will be back on Sunday after all but one of last week’s ties were suspended following the death of a policeman in the Catania-Palermo riots.

"I think that resuming matches on Sunday is an important signal, the clubs behaved as they should have by accepting the decisions of the authorities," added the former Udinese boss.

"The Government did its part in trying to find new rules and doing something different from what was done in the past. I think this is of fundamental importance for the future."

Roma will host Parma at the Olimpico on Sunday afternoon, as under new regulations no evening kick-offs will be allowed for the entire month of February.

"I want to remain optimistic and believe that the new measures will be useful," continued the 4-2-3-1 tactician.

"The championship starting again doesn’t mean that everything is fine, there is still a lot that needs to be done."

Source: C4 Football Italia

Platini wants open doors

Newly elected UEFA chief Michel Platini has praised the new anti-hooliganism measures adopted in Italy, but is against the concept of playing behind closed doors.

Matches will resume over the weekend, but five Serie A fixtures will be played in empty stadiums after the Government confirmed that venues which do not meet the required safety measures will remain shut to supporters.

"I obviously agree with the Italian Football Federation’s decision to suspend the championships after the death of a policeman," said Platini in an interview with France 24.

"However, as to the closed doors, I don’t think it is fair to penalise the clubs.

"People cause this kind of trouble and those supporters must be made responsible for their actions."

The former Juventus great added: "Violent fans must be punished and should be banned from stadiums. This must obviously be done with the Government and the police, clubs alone cannot solve this kind of problem.

"As to the serious issue of racism, I am ready to suspend matches, just as in Holland some time ago.

"Again, to do this, we would need to work alongside the police to guarantee the safe exit of all fans from venues," he concluded.

Source: C4 Football Italia

James Richardson's blog

In his latest blog on the Guardian Unlimited website, the face of Italian football in the UK - James Richardson, waved goodbye to some of Italian football's most loved landmarks...

" Wave goodbye for now to your landmarks of the Italian game. The San Siro is closed, the San Paolo in Naples too. Anyone carrying flares or bangers anywhere near a stadium anytime near a match faces up to four years in jail. Night-time games are a thing of the past, and travelling fans too. And Catania will be playing the rest of their season a long, long way away from their now infamous Cibali Stadium.

These are just a few of the new measures awaiting Calcio as it struggles back to its feet, and after last weekend's violence few can doubt the need for change. What happened at the Cibali was an authentic ambush. When the police arrived escorting the visiting Palermo fans, the Ultras attacked using some of the close to 100 homemade bombs they'd amassed in the stadium, apparently with the help of a sympathetic caretaker. Broken sinks, pipes and a scooter were also hurled at the officers. One policeman narrowly escaped with his life; another was not so fortunate.

Catania v Palermo will take Calcio a long time to recover from, yet had it not been for the fact that an officer died at a top-level game - had he, say, merely been injured like countless others before - the game and the accompanying riot wouldn't have caused much fuss in Italy. Scenes like these are not uncommon. Witness the fact that last Friday's match actually began with a minute's silence in memory of a man kicked to death during a violent row at a non-league match just five days before.

Violence has been a growing problem around Italian matches for years, quietly accepted by clubs, authorities and fans (and by columnists like myself, too) as an inevitable part of the game. The blame for this is generally laid at the door of the Ultras, the hardcore fans. Whilst they are by no means bad by definition - many are simply passionate but peaceful supporters - these groups have provided a valuable mantle of anonymity to many violent fans.

For years it has seemed that there was nothing the Ultras couldn't get away with. They've attacked referees for unpopular decisions, and 'disciplined' players for poor performances. They've invaded training grounds, demanded and won crisis talks with players and even had matches called off. Remember the Rome derby three years ago? The sight of a meek Francesco Totti being beckoned by two Ultra chiefs over to the Curva Sud to hear their demands was a useful snapshot of how unwilling this sport has been to confront its most dangerous fans.

Why? Because otherwise, the theory went, they might cause even more trouble. In the Curvas, with tens of thousands of fans packed in together and only a few narrow points of access, Italian police dared not tread. "It would have been considered an act of war," explains one officer, a veteran of the Catania riot. As a result, Ultras have been free to do largely as they pleased: smoke a joint, throw a flare, lob a burning scooter, all outside police jurisdiction. "That's another country in there, outside the Italian Republic," the policeman bitterly concludes.

As for the clubs, faced with heavy fines if the Ultras act up in the stadium, they too have gone to great lengths to keep on their good side. Journalists in Milan tell of the Rossoneri's last scudetto celebrations, where, despite being banned from entering the stadium, one of Milan's most infamous capitofosi was seated at the table next to Silvio Berlusconi. Such attention is not unusual: free air travel, season tickets and financial contributions have all been passed on to these most volatile supporters.

For the Ultras, this is a valuable source of income, and woe betide anyone who disrupts it: the Lazio president Claudio Lotito now travels with an armed guard after cutting his club's ties to these fans, while Milanese police put the recent shooting of a capitifoso down to the battle for control of club favours.

However, there are now signs of a change. This week's measures are specifically aimed at rolling back the Ultras' power after years of appeasement. Aside from a ban on contact between Ultras and clubs, there's the ban on groups of travelling fans and steeper penalties for any form of attack on the police. Many law-abiding Ultras will feel themselves demonised by the restrictions, which will change the landscape of the Italian game; the Ultras' colourful flares and pre-game choreography have long been part of Serie A's attraction. But compared to the ongoing tragedy that came to a head last Friday, it's all a price worth paying.

Meanwhile, the decision to force clubs whose stadiums don't meet security requirements - 14 of the 20 Serie A sides - to play behind closed doors has provoked a storm of protest from the league itself. Napoli's owner calls it "fascist", while Atalanta's owner says he "can't rule out' a strike by the clubs themselves". "If three clubs play with their crowds behind them, and the others don't, it'll make the championship unfair," points out Gennaro Gattuso of Milan, one of the teams affected. It's a fair point, but bear in mind that all the clubs are being asked to do is put in place some basic security requirements - turnstiles, closed circuit TV, etc - that they were legally meant to have in place over a year and a half ago. A couple of games without any gate money may give them the incentive to finally get the work done.

No one thinks the next few weeks are going to be easy (apart from the people selling pay-TV subscriptions) and no-one's pretending that these measures will mean an end to violence, but at least this week we've seen a definite step in the right direction. A belated one, perhaps, but a step nonetheless. "

Source: Guardian Unlimited Sport Blog

Stadio chaos infuriates Spinelli

The Lega Calcio have ruled out possible strike action – but Livorno chief Aldo Spinelli insists playing behind closed doors is still the wrong decision.

The Italian Government passed new strict safety regulations this week, in the aftermath of the Catania riots, and the Armando Picchi is just one of numerous arenas which don’t meet the necessary requirements.

"Livorno just can’t close its stadium," fumed the fiery Spinelli. "I will fight on until I die.

"After all we have done over the past few months I cannot believe that they want to close our facilities.

"UEFA told us what was needed to meet their safety regulations and when we finally got our licence I was in seventh heaven.

"We never stopped with the renovation work at the Picchi, not even when we were granted special dispensation to use the arena anyway.

"Our fans have never done anything wrong and I don’t see why they should pay. I can’t agree with the fact that some stadiums will open – it has to be all or nothing."

Source: C4 Football Italia

Italy will host Scotland tie

Sports Minister Giovanna Melandri believes that Italy will still host the next Euro 2008 qualifier against Scotland, despite the latest football-related violence in the peninsula.

The Azzurri are scheduled to play at Bari’s Stadio San Nicola on March 28, but the arena doesn’t presently meet with the new safety regulations imposed on Italian stadia after last week’s Catania riots.

"What I can assure you is that we will be able to host an international tie," said Melandri to Sky Sports News. "As to hosting fans from abroad and from other international clubs, we will be able to do so as well," she added.

Italian officials are set to meet with UEFA in a bid to clarify the stadium situation which will see dozens of games this weekend played behind closed doors.

With the possibility that the Italian Football Federation may switch the game to a venue which meets the Legge Pisanu requirements, the Scottish FA have asked their fans for understanding.

"We are still waiting for information on the situation, which is causing concern and frustration for the thousands of Scotland supporters who are planning to visit Italy in March," said a spokesman.

"There is considerable speculation but it should be treated with caution, as no firm decisions have been taken.

"We understand that UEFA and the Italian Federation will meet in the coming days to discuss the various options if it is decided that Bari cannot host the match."

Scottish officials were expected to travel to Italy to discuss ticketing and security arrangements, but the visit has been postponed until the situation becomes clearer.

Bari is also one of the eight venues named by the FIGC in its candidacy for the Euro 2012 competition.

The San Nicola, redeveloped for the 1990 World Cup, last housed the Azzurri during a Euro 96 qualifier against Ukraine in 1995.

Source: C4 Football Italia