Italian senate issues decree to curb violence

The Italian Senate, galvanised by the fatal stabbing of a supporter last month, yesterday approved a series of measures aimed at curbing violence at matches. The measures were contained in a decree which was drawn up in December after trouble at matches earlier this season.

Under the decree, which now goes to the Chamber of Deputies for definitive approval, police can bar from stadiums hardline, or so-called "ultra'', fans who have been accused or convicted of football violence. These fans are also required to sign a policeregister, making it easier for authorities to track them and keep them out of the stadiums.

The decree bars clubs from giving free tickets and other perks to fan clubs whose members have a history of violence. If clubs violate this measure, they would face fines of up to 50 per cent of their receipts for any given game. Under a modification to the original decree, clubs could also be required to pay for part of the cost of police needed to keep order at matches.

The Interior Minister, Antonio Brancaccio, in an address to the Senate, said the decree was a "positive first step" although he added that the government was aware the measures were insufficient to stop football violence.

But clubs are worried that the new measures could cost them dearly. "The clubs today pay a lot of taxes. Soccer already gives tens of billions of lire to the state. In my opinion we are contributing enough," the Genoa president, Aldo Spinelli, said.

All Italian national sport was suspended last Sunday following the fatal stabbing of the Genoa supporter, Vincenzo Spagnolo, before a match with the European champions, Milan, on 29 January. Simone Barbaglia, an 18-year-old Milan fan, has been charged with Spagnolo's murder.

In France, the Sports Minister, Michele Alliot-Marie, has called for "swift, tough moves" to curb sports-related violence after a fan shot last weekend finally lost his fight for life yesterday. Douadi Atout, 22, died thee days after being gunned down onSunday in the low-income Paris suburb of Drancy by a teenage fan of a rival amateur team.

Football authorities have cancelled 6,800 professional and amateur matches in the Paris area this weekend and have ordered a minute's silence before all other games in France. "It's essential to react very quickly and very strongly," said Alliot-Marie, who yesterday summoned officials from both government and football to her office to discuss ways to curb sports violence.

Most of the 6,800 matches cancelled by officials in Paris involve amateur teams, but the Second Division club, Red Star, are also affected.

That has prompted a protest from the Red Star president, Jean-Claude Bras, who believes football is being made a scapegoat for France's underlying social problems. "What happened on Sunday was an ordinary story of hate among teenage brats," Bras said. "It could have happened somewhere else, outside a cinema or a concert.

"Soccer didn't cause this murder. It is being held hostage in this tragedy, and is not able to solve the problems of modern society."

Bras said football officials, instead of hastily cancelling the weekend matches, could have offered a positive example by urging players and coaches to play with an especially high level of sportsmanship. "This would have been the best homage we could have paid to the victim," he said.

The head of the Paris-area league, Jean Verbeke, said football generally serves a positive role, particularly in promoting integration among blacks, whites and North Africans in heavily immigrant suburbs. Of the 6,800 matches each weekend, usually only one or two end with a serious conflict, he said.

Despite occasional rowdiness by Paris-based hooligans, France has experienced less football-related violence than most other western European countries, so the death of Atout had a deep impact. It was the lead story yesterday on the front page of Le Monde.

Noel Le Graet, the president of the national league, said most clubs in France had dealt effectively with violence, but he issued a warning to others. "Either they can have soccer, or they can't," he said. "The stadium is a privileged place, and you can't play properly unless the spectators feel this."

The Juventus and Italy striker, Roberto Baggio, has set his sights on a return to action later this month after a long lay-off caused by a knee injury. "I'm very relieved. What I need now are a couple of weeks to get fit again and I hope to play against Sampdoria [on February 26]," Italian newspapers quoted Baggio as saying yesterday.

Baggio has not played for the league leaders, Juventus, since suffering the injury during their game against Padova on 27 November. Exploratory "keyhole" surgery last week confirmed earlier tests which attributed the pain to a scar on his knee which had yet to heal fully from a previous operation.