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Most Italian clubs had to play behind closed doors this weekend after a government decree ruled that stadiums that did not meet new safety standards could not admit spectators. The decree followed the death of Filippo Raciti, a police officer, in clashes between supporters of Catania and Palermo. All matches were suspended last weekend and at one time there was talk of suspending them for a year. How long the measures remains in place remains to be seen. Mayors, who control many of the municpal stadiums in which clubs play, expressed resentment at the measures and talked of strike action although this did not materialise. To meet the new standards, clubs must have electronic ticketing, numbered seats, video surveillance, up-to-date turnstiles, separation of home and away fans, and a steward service provided by the club. Apart from electronic ticketing, all leading British clubs would meet these standards and the use of closed circuit television has done much to stamp out trouble within grounds. Only six stadiums meet the new standards. One is Rome's Olympic stadium which is the home of Roma and Lazio. The other stadiums are in Genoa, Messina, Palermo, Siena and Turin. Two other stadiums, Milan's San Siro, where AC Milan and Inter play, and the Parma stadium, are considered to be close to fulfilling the security conditions. It is understood that season ticket holders, who would otherwise have to be refunded, were admitted into AC Milan's match this weekend.
Violence is nothing new in Italian football. Eighteen people have died as a result of football-related violence since 1963. Some blame the violence in part on the fact that Italian football clubs do not usually own the stadiums where they play, making them reluctant to invest in improving security. However, a major factor is the tolerance of the 'Ultras', organised groups of fans who often have links to far right political movements. They were able to bully some clubs into giving them privileges such as free tickets and merchandising franchises. Rules intended to ban such practices were never effectively applied. The underlying causes of the violence are deeply rooted in Italian society and cannot be tackled easily, but at least there is a new determination to address the issues.
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