'Derby of shame' highlights ultra-power problem

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'Derby of shame' highlights ultra-power problem

By Paul Virgo (ANSA.IT) 16:55, November 15, 2013

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Rome, November 13 - Italian soccer is reflecting on how to curtail the excessive power groups of hard-core ultra fans are wielding within the game after supporter intimidation led to a third-tier game being abandoned in farcical-yet-alarming circumstances on Sunday.

The Campania derby between Salerno hosts Salernitana and Nocerina was abandoned after 21 minutes when the visiting side were reduced to six men - below the minimum needed to continue the game - after a raft of players feigned injuries. Before the match around 200 hard-core 'ultra' Nocerina fans went to their team's training camp and reportedly threatened the footballers not to play.

They were angry about being banned from attending the game, which started 40 minutes late, due to concerns about crowd trouble. "We witnessed very serious events on Sunday and zero tolerance is needed against this," Premier Enrico Letta said Wednesday at the headquarters of the Italian Olympic Committee, the country's governing body for sport.

"Episodes like this have a dramatic effect on the values that sport transmits". While ultras bring much of the colour and noise that make Italian football special, with their coordinated displays of banners, pictures and flags, they are also to blame for many of the episodes of violence, vandalism and racism that dog the game here.

Sunday's incident was unprecedented and caused widespread dismay, with the match being described as the "derby of shame" in the media.

But it was by no means the only example of ultra power going too far.

In April last year Genoa fans managed to get a match suspended by throwing smoke bombs and intimidated their team to remove their shirts following a poor run of form because the players were supposedly unfit to wear them.

In March 2004 the capital's derby match between AS Roma and Lazio was suspended when fans marched up to footballers to demand they stop playing following bogus rumours that a child had been killed by a police vehicle.

The interior ministry says that soccer-related violence has fallen significantly since anti-hooliganism measures were introduced after a policeman was killed during a riot at the Sicilian derby between Catania and Palermo in 2007.

The measures include greater use of video surveillance and the introduction of an ID card that fans need to travel to away games in order to make it easier to identify trouble-makers.

Nevertheless, the 'curva' end stands of Italian grounds, where the ultra's gather, are still often 'no-go areas' where police and stewards do not intervene during matches for fear of causing clashes.

The extent of ultra power has been shown in some fans' defiance of new stricter punishments against regional discrimination and racism - another major problem that has marred the image of Italian soccer in recent years.

Indeed, Juventus fans chanted "we'll do what the f**k we want" after being warned to stop offensive anti-Naples abuse during their side's 3-0 win over Napoli in Turin on Sunday.

The chants led to Serie A's sporting judge to order the closure of the Juventus Stadium's south stand for their upcoming games against Udinese and Sassuolo, while the north stand will be shut for the Udinese game.

Some club chairmen have warned the fans may use the new rules, which include points deductions for teams whose supporters are repeat offenders, to blackmail clubs into bending to their will.

According to some reports, the Nocerina players were cowed by their fans because some have links to the Campania mafia, the Camorra. Italy coach Cesare Prandelli said Tuesday that the incident was a defeat for "everyone" and he was pessimistic about finding a solution. "Up to a little while ago, they used to say there was too much pressure (in Italian soccer)," said Prandelli. "Today I say there is too much obsession. If we don't act (world governing body) FIFA or (European governing body) UEFA could ask us to stop... I'm not very confident for the future".

Salernitana have been awarded a 3-0 win for Sunday's match on Tuesday. Prosecutors in Nocerina's home town of Nocera Inferiore have opened a probe into the incident. Up to now 22 people have been reported to prosectors for their alleged involvement and 23 have been issued with bans from attending sporting events.