ITALY: FOOTBALL / SOCCER - The Italian Olympic Committee has held an emergency meeting to address soccer violence after clashes by rampaging fans at a match in Sicily left a policeman dead and 70 people injured

A moment for private grief. Narissa Raciti made her way to the place where her husband, 38-year-old police officer Filippo was killed during soccer riots in the Sicilian city of Catania on Friday (February 2). She laid down flowers on the pavement on Saturday (February 3), with a message from her two children. The violence has shaken Italy. The Italian Olympic Committee (CONI), Italian sport's top governing body, held an emergency meeting on Sunday (February 4) to decide policy and make recommendations before meeting the government on Monday (February 5). "All our ideas will be considered together with the Italian government, we don't want to act as if we were first to come up with these ideas. All elements will be discussed with the Italian government. Our thought is to decide some measures and only then to start again, we don't know when, it might be immediately, it might be in some weeks, all must be discussed with the government, we don't want act to like the first of the class. This is no big news, we have been saying this for three days," said Gianni Petrucci, head of the Italian Olympic Commitee. All soccer matches from children's leagues to the national team's friendly against Romania on Wednesday (February 7) have been cancelled while the authorities consider draconian measures such as matches behind closed doors. Other measures being considered include a ban on organised groups of fans moving from one place to the next, introducing tickets with fan's names on them and more closed circuit cameras. "Frankly, what is the situation about the Italian country? because the problem is a serious problem, is a shame for the country. I am a member of Parliament, my presence today here means that I suggest that the Italian Parliament can adopt some bill, most severe, most severe, on the same way of the English legislation," said Mario Pescante, former head of the Italian Olympic Commitee, now member of Parliament. Prime Minister Romano Prodi, who has promised radical measures, will meet top ministers on Monday (February 5) to formulate new measures and Interior Minister Giuliano Amato will address Parliament on Tuesday (February 6). Although brawls at Italian stadiums are common, the riots following Friday night's Serie A match between Sicilian arch-rivals Palermo and Catania shocked a nation still basking in the glow of its World Cup victory last year. After the game in Catania, hooded fans chased police vans and hurled flares and fireworks, one of which exploded in the face of 38-year-old police officer Filippo Raciti, who died in hospital. More than 70 people were injured. Much of the violence is blamed on radical football supporters called "ultras" who have resisted any measures to control their behaviour. The shock went far beyond Sicily. Raciti was the 13th person to be killed in or around Italy's football stadiums since 1962. The last fatality at a First Division match was in 1995 when a Genoa fan was stabbed to death before a game against AC Milan. The championship was suspended for day at the time. In a sign of mourning, city-wide festivities for the feast of Catania's patron Saint Agatha were scaled down. Many residents had called for the whole feast to be scraped.

ITN Source | February 5, 2007

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