People obviously don't realise the seriousness of this decision: they leagues have been suspended INDEFINATELY. Talk on Italian TV is for at least 2 weeks, but FIGC President Luca Pancalli has said he is considering suspending ALL PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL IN ITALY FOR AT LEAST A YEAR.
I'd throw both clubs out of the league. FIGC need to come down hard and throw the book at both clubs and their fans. Massive fines, ground closures and point deductions are warranted.
I have to agree, Giancarlo. All the 'suspended for a year' talk does is to obscure the murder (if you take a homemade bomb to a football match, that's pre-meditation, IMHO) of the policeman.
The implications of shutting down Italian football for a year would be enormous and entirely unfavourable. Players would leave en masse in the summer; the implications for European competition would be interesting - a domestic shutdown might prevent any Italian entries into Europe even if tonight's table was declared as the final standings for the season.
I suppose a wider question is whether or not this will finally force a crackdown on the Ultras and a final realisation that what they get up to is not just a spot of high spirits...
Originally posted by gingeki: I never understand doing things like this - does this not let the hooligans win.
Surely it's better to carry on and show that their actions are not going to be allowed to carry any extra weight.
I fully appreciate that a man has lost his life but if a policeman is shot during a bank robbery do we close all banks until further notice?
I say play on and two fingers to the hooligans - you're not going to ruin our game.
By the same token, though, you risk suggesting to the hooligans that they can do whatever they like, since football - the focus for their violent behaviour - will carry on regardless.
I think you are just repeating the legitimate terrorist argument. The reason why shutting ourselves up at home or not going to certain places is letting terrorists win is because this is what the terrorists want. They act to strike fear into civilian populations.
I dont think it is satisfactory to say that football hooligans behave as they do to call off football matches. Indeed I think to a certain extent, their actions were unrelated to football. Anyone who participates in such vile misbehaviour clearly has a lot of pent up aggression which extends beyond the realm of football. They do not really hate the people against which they fight and they certainly never intended to call off football matches across the league and for the national side.
Although I do agree that calling off matches for more than a week is unneccessary. I dont see what it achieves..
Unfortunately I believe this is going to end up something like the summer's farce. Threats of long suspensions for Catania and Palermo and of the football calendar will be made, but not seen through.
I expect to see normal service resumed by Round 24 in two weeks' time and no later. Only if the threat is carried out long beyond this date will I start to believe that the FIGC and the various authorities are taking the overhauling of crowd behaviour seriously.
As a fan of Palermo I find it very sad that my favoured club is involved in such scenes, but find the blame-game which immediately started up between the two camps completely out of order.
If the clubs are given huge fines / bans / relegations after the necessary investigations, then this may act as some sort of a deterent, but more will be needed.
From a footballing point of view it is hugely disappointing that Palermo, a team who have never before made the Champions' League, could have off-the-field issues deny them a first ever campaign at Europe's top table. However, the clubs belong to the fans, and if the fans are jeopardising their clubs' futures, then they have only themselves to blame.
Originally posted by gingeki: I never understand doing things like this - does this not let the hooligans win.
Surely it's better to carry on and show that their actions are not going to be allowed to carry any extra weight.
I fully appreciate that a man has lost his life but if a policeman is shot during a bank robbery do we close all banks until further notice?
I say play on and two fingers to the hooligans - you're not going to ruin our game.
quote:
Originally posted by Phonicsdude: I think you are just repeating the legitimate terrorist argument. The reason why shutting ourselves up at home or not going to certain places is letting terrorists win is because this is what the terrorists want. They act to strike fear into civilian populations.
I dont think it is satisfactory to say that football hooligans behave as they do to call off football matches. Indeed I think to a certain extent, their actions were unrelated to football. Anyone who participates in such vile misbehaviour clearly has a lot of pent up aggression which extends beyond the realm of football. They do not really hate the people against which they fight and they certainly never intended to call off football matches across the league and for the national side.
Although I do agree that calling off matches for more than a week is unneccessary. I dont see what it achieves..
Aren't these hooligans already winning?
Attendances are going down mainly because of them and the only people left in the stadium are 'the home hooligans' and 'the away hooligans'... They clash, violence takes place during matches, Italian football suffers! No?
