Italy to hold football violence crisis meeting

AFP - 5 February 2007 14:29

Italian police carry the coffin of Filippo Raciti during his funeral at Catania Cathedral. A top Italian football official says that death is part of the sport and games should not be halted, as the funeral was held for a policeman killed in a football riot.

ROME (AFP) - A top Italian football official says that death is part of the sport and games should not be halted, as the funeral was held for a policeman killed in a football riot.

Thousands, including Italy´s justice and sports ministers, attended the funeral in the Sicily of Filippo Raciti, the policeman killed Friday when a home made bomb was thrown into his car.

All matches were halted and the Italian government was to hold a crisis meeting on Monday to decide new measures against football violence.

But Antonio Matarrese, president of Italy´s Professional Football League Clubs association, said matches should be allowed to start again.

"Deaths unfortunately form part of this huge movement which is football and which the forces of order are not always able to control," Matarrese said in an interview with La Repubblica newspaper published Monday.

"Football should never be stopped. It´s the number one rule: football is the industry...do you think there´s an industry that would close its factories and not know when they´re going to reopen?"

"We are touched, but the show must go on," he told the paper.

"When Fiat wants to have a relaunch it doesn´t stop its production line. We want to copy the manner of the relaunch of Fiat."

Italy´s sports minister Giovanna Melandri pledged on Sunday that "important measures" will be quickly introduced to battle hooliganism.

Melandri and Interior Minister Giuliano Amato was also among mourners at Catania Cathedral for Raciti´s funeral. About 1,000 people were inside the cathedral and several thousand more waited outside -- highlighting the nationwide shock caused by the policeman´s death.

Even Pope Benedict XVI strongly condemned football violence in a special message of condolences published by the Vatican.

"The Holy Father exhorts all sides to act with the greatest determination for the respect of legality, the promotion of loyalty, solidarity and a spirit of healthy competition."

Amato, Melandri, Justice Minister Clemente Mastella, Italian Olympic committee (CONI) president Gianni Petrucci and Italian football federation chief Luca Pancalli were to attend Monday´s crisis meeting.

Melandri meanwhile has refused to give a specific date for the eventual resumption of domestic and international fixtures. He said it was not certain Monday´s meeting would be able to decide.

Pancalli said a return to action would depend on "the long term strategies to be put in place. It´s not easy to repair the damage in a week or 10 days".

Raciti died after a home-made bomb was thrown into his car as police officers came under attack from Catania fans outside the Massimino stadium following the derby match against Palermo.

About 100 people were also injured during fights between Catania and Palermo fans.

Raciti, 38, leaves behind a wife and two sons.