Tragedy in Sicilian Derby(Catania-Palermo) - Serie A and B suspended **SPOILERS**

[djcash50]

Let's see...
1. crappy stadiums
2. expensive tickets
3. pay tv

and now.... 4. fear of death. Boy, no wonder attendance sucks.

I've actually had the pleasure of being at a match like that. Remember Juve-Fiorentina. I was in the Juve section in Florence. Before getting into the stadium, I had bottles thrown at me, a bomb blow up next to me, and tear gas burn my face, throat and eyes. It's all very adrenaline pumping, but dangerous as hell.

I think the rest of the season should be 'a porta chiusa', empty stadiums, and Ultras should be kept a good 500 yards away from the stadium.

i cant believe some people actually care more about match spoilers than people dying. this is a real dark history in italian football. i just looked at the poll on Soccernet, it seems like more people think that the current situation will not get better.

[Fac1]

Raciti murder "was revenge"
Sunday 4 February, 2007
The police are now suggesting that Filippo Raciti was targeted in a revenge killing for acting as a witness in the trial of a Catania Ultra’.

The 38-year-old policeman was killed during riots that surrounded the Stadio Massimino while Catania-Palermo was played inside.

An autopsy has now confirmed he died from massive liver damage. “The cause of death is clear,” announced the MD.

It was already known that the Catania fans staged an ambush on the arriving Palermo fans and police force, but a frightening new theory has come to light – the football match was merely an excuse to exact revenge on the Chief Inspector.

“In the last few weeks, Filippo had acted as a key witness in the trial of a Catania Ultra’ accused of violence in the last derby at Palermo. He was the one who nailed him, reconstructing the events of another nightmare evening,” explained police colleague Claudio Anzalone.

“Filippo told me how things unfolded. That lad, who got a suspended sentence, left the court laughing at him and hurling insults. Now this incident could really mean something, even if nobody listened to our warnings before.”

This theory would fit in with the sequence of events on Friday evening at the Stadio Massimino.

The Palermo fans did not arrive until the second half and it was here that the trouble erupted, when Catania supporters waiting outside the stadium began their ambush.

Raciti, one of the policemen escorting the visiting fans, was struck in the chest by a rock and then a homemade bomb was thrown at his car.

“We can confirm that there was no involvement of the Rosanero fans,” said Catania police chief Ignazio Fonzo.

“The riot was solely created by pseudo-Catania supporters, real delinquents with a premeditated action of extreme violence. It’s a little early to talk today about a premeditated and targeted murder, however.”

More evidence suggests this may have been revenge for the last Sicilian derby, won 5-3 by Palermo at the Stadio Barbera on September 20.

Raciti had been placed in a desk job for the past few months, but became restless and at his request was returned to duty at football matches just over a week ago.

The tension expected in the derby may well have given the criminals the perfect excuse to commit murder disguised as football-related violence.

Last night the police raided several different Catania fan clubs to weed out the more hardline elements. So far 22 people are under arrest.

Wow, I thought he was just caught in between fire, but he was actually targetted...

[indomitable_lion]

It's as I suspected. People appropriating football for things that have nothing to do with it. Sometimes I wish that I lived in Europe and could go to see football matches in personbut when I read these stories I don't have a very strong desire to do so.

The hooligan culture really scares me. To think that I would be beaten up by a bunch of United fans for wearing a Liverpool jersey in a certain section of the stadium is something that I just cannot understand.

[kaku]

Originally Posted by Fac1

Wow, I thought he was just caught in between fire, but he was actually targetted...

Yeah, i heard that scenario too.Really stupid thugs.Conspiring to kill a police officer.Some really stupid people are going away for a looong time

And they are not gonna walk out of the court laughing this time...

They believe it's some kind of game or something.Playing it tough, fighting against other fans on the streets.I'm sure they thought they would get back at him, showing the cops they are not to be messed with.Well, when you kill a police officer, assholes, things get very serious.

[indomitable_lion]

Originally Posted by kaku

Well, when you kill a police officer, assholes, things get very serious.

Good point. Fans have been killed before and little decisive action was taken. This time that a cop's been killed things have gotten a lot more serious.

[BristolUK]

Revenge?
Am I being cynical in wondering if that's very convenient?

[Rival39]

Originally Posted by Fac1

embarassment for all Sicilians.

and just to top it off we are all stuborn bastards

[dkalley]

I think the development of this is going to be interesting...Italy has needed to clean up it's act with club football and with ultras. The significance of the policeman being killed is that the ultras there target cops, it is the same as the political riots... To target cops which represent authority and the state, which has nothing to do with sport in this case. The game is just a stage for there theatre of violence.

To do it right a lot of people are going to be pissed off. No more pre-game access (where the pyrotechnics are probably stashed to begin with). No more club support, who are being extorted and threatened. No more tickets for supporters. Sadly these "fans" will interpret this as big money football taking away their sport. And, join the ranks of hooligans who will be harder for the authorities to identify and control since they won't be wearing colors anymore.

This is a good opportunity for Italy (and for the rest of football) to get rid of thugs and political ultras. But I don't think it will be very easy.

i can't believe that, how horrible. tear gas, bombs, riots, murder what the f.