Italian soccer officials debate shutdown after latest violence

Players and soccer officials in Italy on Tuesday debated shutting down leagues in the aftermath of the latest episodes of violence to ravage the sport.

Riots erupted across Italy on Sunday as fans attacked police stations after a policeman fatally shot a Lazio fan at a highway rest stop.

"This morning I finally read the right word: terrorism. What happened Sunday is civil war," said Italy team manager Luigi Riva, the Azzurri's all-time leading scorer with 35 goals.

"We've got to stop all this before we think about playing," Riva said. "I would stop the league right away, even for a year, if it would defeat this terrorism."

The police officer who shot 26-year-old Gabriele Sandri fired with his arm outstretched — suggesting that the gun did not accidentally discharge as the officer ran, as initial reports indicated, Italy's interior minister said Tuesday.

Officials may lay terrorism charges

In a briefing to Parliament, Interior Minister Giuliano Amato also announced more arrests stemming from the riots that ensued after the shooting.

Sandri, a disc jockey from Rome, was sitting in a car that had stopped at a highway rest area near Arezzo in Tuscany when he was shot in the neck. Initial reports said police had intervened to stop a scuffle between Sandri's group of Lazio fans — headed to see their club play at Inter Milan — and a group of Juventus fans, also travelling north to see their team play.

Amato said a total of four people had been arrested in Rome, five people in Taranto, six in Milan and seven in Bergamo — and that more arrests were expected. He noted that prosecutors in Rome were considering terrorism charges against the four suspects from that city.

Serie B, C cancelled for weekend

Soccer officials have cancelled domestic play on the weekend for Serie B and C. Serie A is on break until Nov. 24 for international play.

Italian soccer federation president Giancarlo Abete reiterated Tuesday that there were no plans to stop the Serie A.

"We were clear yesterday. We decided unanimously to stop the leagues scheduled to play this weekend and call a federation meeting for Thursday to hear the [club presidents] and evaluate the measures," Abete was quoted as saying by the ANSA news agency.

"As far as we're concerned, games will be played regularly Nov. 25," Abete added.

He said it would then be up to a national watchdog body and individual police chiefs to evaluate public order situations.

Lucky to play in foreign league: Cannavaro

Italy plays at Scotland on Saturday in a game that could decide whether the World Cup champions qualify for the European Championship.

The Azzurri will wear black armbands during the game in Scotland.

Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro called himself lucky to play in a foreign league with Real Madrid.

"I have the fortune of playing in a league where every Sunday, families come to the stadium and the few ultras that they have are under control," Cannavaro said.

The Italian league decided Tuesday to inflict a 3-0 loss on Taranto and order the third-division club to play four games in an empty stadium after violence forced Sunday's game with Massese to be suspended.

A national watchdog body for soccer violence also announced that large groups of violent fans would be blocked from travelling to certain games. The monitoring body already labels games by risk level, and visiting fans will be barred from travelling to high-risk matches until a system of fan identity cards can be instituted.

UEFA president says many share blame

UEFA president Michel Platini suggested requiring fans to bring a child with them to games once matches start again in Italy.

"That would be the perfect antidote," Platini said in interview with Italian daily Il Giornale. "[Fans] would have to count to 10 before raising their voice or their hands."

Platini also cast blame on the Italian media for raising tempers between fans with exaggerated headlines.

"I'll give you an example: I'll jokingly make a remark about a player or a game in your league and right away war breaks out," Platini said. "The pressure is exaggerated by everyone: the press, TV, common folk and politicians. I'm for passion, but within limits.

"The blame should be distributed among all the components," added Platini, who played in Italy with Juventus.

Soccer-related violence has been a problem for years in Italy.
  
Last season, a policeman was killed in riots following a game between Palermo and Catania in Sicily and police clashed with Manchester United fans at a Champions League game in Rome.

In 2004, the derby between AS Roma and Lazio was suspended three minutes into the second half when a false rumour spread through the stadium that police had killed a boy outside the stadium, sparking riots.

"All these acts of violence risk distancing champions from Serie A," AC Milan star Kaka said in an interview with the Gazzetta dello Sport. "The great players want to play on great teams, and some of the most prestigious clubs in the world are in Italy. But they're also looking for joy and enthusiasm.

"Italy is losing credibility," Kaka added. "The match-fixing scandal, the policeman killed in Catania, now the fan killed. The list is becoming too long."