Italian Football In Disgrace

[Timoweb]

Mob confronts police amid a haze of tear gas.

Italy has indefinitely suspended all international and domestic football matches after a policeman was killed during riots.

The officer who died had an explosive thrown in his face.

One of his colleagues is in a critical condition in hospital. More than 100 people were injured in the fighting.

Italian federation chiefs have now postponed all league matches this weekend and cancelled next week's friendlies involving national teams.

Violence erupted at the Serie A match between Sicilian sides Catania and Palermo, outside Catania's Angelo Massimino stadium on Friday.

Police fired tear gas, which wafted into the stadium and forced the match to be temporarily suspended in the 58th minute with Palermo leading 1-0.

Reports said nine Catania fans had been detained, but none were suspected of killing the officer.

Federation (FIGC) commissioner Luca Pancalli said: "We cannot continue like this. What we're witnessing has nothing to do with soccer, therefore Italian soccer is stopping."

The violence follows last month's death of a fourth-division team manager from injuries he received when he tried to stop a brawl during a game.


Players try to wash tear gas from their eyes.

Source SkyNews.

So its not just the english then, i wonder how all this will end up!