[typoon]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...x.html?cnn=yes

MILAN, Italy (Reuters) -- The Champions League quarterfinal between Inter Milan and city rivals AC Milan was abandoned after 73 minutes on Tuesday after Milan keeper Dida was struck by one of dozens of flares thrown down from the stands.

German referee Markus Merk took the players off the pitch at the San Siro stadium after Inter fans began hurling plastic bottles and then over 30 flares on to the penalty area below them after a header by Esteban Cambiasso was disallowed.

Dida received medical treatment to his shoulder while Inter players urged their fans to stop hurling objects on to the pitch.

The goal frame disappeared in clouds of smoke as flares continued to be rained down and burn on the pitch.

The players came back on to the field after 25 minutes but Merk took them off again after just 30 seconds play and abandoned the game when more flares came raining down with no sign of intervention from the police.

Milan was leading 1-0 thanks to a first-half goal from Andriy Shevchenko, which had put it 3-0 up on aggregate after it won last week's first-leg 2-0 at the San Siro stadium the two clubs share.

UEFA's website reported that "referee Merk will now submit his report to the UEFA Control and Disciplinary Body, who will deal with the case."


Where the heck were the police? If something like this happened in the US the Riot squad would have been called and the place would have probably been locked down.

[iREZ]

i love it how my euro buddies trash american culture using the detroit pistons cup dissaster as an example, but if i mention these stupid football (soccer) riots, then i'm considered just another stupid ignorant american. go figure.

[RonnieoftheRose]

Originally posted by typoon:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...x.html?cnn=yes


Where the heck were the police? If something like this happened in the US the Riot squad would have been called and the place would have probably been locked down.

There's Riot Squad at every AC Milan game but that never stops anything. Italians bring fireworks to almost every Serie A game and there are almost always fights. In Italy they also have a no rules football competition between provinces once or twice a year that descend into an orgy brawl as soon as one foul occurs. A few hundred years ago, even less, Italian provinces used to go to war against each other. The ancient blood still boils in sports.

It's still better than what you get in Spain where the two most famous sports are bull fighting and throwing a goat from a church belltower.

[effgee]

Originally posted by iREZ:
i love it how my euro buddies trash american culture using the detroit pistons cup dissaster as an example, but if i mention these stupid football (soccer) riots, then i'm considered just another stupid ignorant american. go figure.

What is it always with the "European" thing? Why should I care what some Italian low-life throws onto a soccer field? On the same note - if there's a soccer riot in Mexico, do you feel responsible? It happened on the same continent, after all.



And I honestly don't see how the fact that there are a lot of retards to be found in any European country comes as a surprise to anyone - even their percentage as a part of the total population of each country is roughly the same (way beyond 50%, if you ask me).

In Italy, Germany, Norway, Liechtenstein as well as in the US, Mexico and Canada.

What's the big deal?





P.S. Tell your Euro-tubbies, errr ... -buddies that weirdo European guy in the Mac forum said "hi" and that "it's about time they got over themselves".

[angelmb]

The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds; and the pessimist fears this is true.

[blackstar]

I think this was worse...
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...362/index.html


MILAN, Italy (AP) -- Lazio and Ternana were fined Tuesday but avoided home stadium bans after one of the worst weekends of soccer violence in Italy this season.

Lazio received a ?25,000 (US$32,445) fine and an official warning after its fans chanted fascist slogans and waved neo-Nazi banners during a match against rival Livorno.



Second-division Ternana was hit with a ?30,000 (US$38,935) penalty and also warned following its derby against Perugia, during which objects were thrown at opposing fans and police.

League officials said Lazio's punishment was a result of banners "containing nazi symbols, evocative of violence and racial discrimination.'' The league said Lazio would have faced harsher penalties if not for the "disassociation shown by other fans'' and the "documented initiatives by the team to avoid such conduct.''

Scores of fans were arrested throughout Italy over the weekend as play resumed after a break to mourn the death of Pope John Paul II.

The league said it was still investigating Messina after several of its supporters were arrested for hurling objects at police during the Sicilian derby against Palermo. A statement said "a more detailed account of the facts'' was being sought before deciding on any punishment.

Lazio president Claudio Lotito said after the decisions were handed out that the fans responsible were a minority.

"Lazio fans are not represented by what was seen Sunday,'' Lotito said. "We can't have a policeman for each person.''

Lotito also said that he agreed efforts should be made to "isolate the fringes of fans'' that promote violence and racism.

"We are not unrelated from those who do not respect the rules, morals and sporting oaths. Teams do need to do more on clashes between fans and players though,'' he said.

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Giuseppe Pisanu called for an urgent meeting Tuesday evening to address the situation. On Monday, Pisanu said stadiums could be shut down if fan violence continues.

[Demonhood]

was it 'free football flare' day?

[analogika]

I was just going to post about the fascist slogans. A huge banner reading "Rome is fascist" accompanied by swastikas and other, violently racist occurrences at the game are somewhat disconcerting on their own, even without the flares.

The problem is that Italian the Italian team camps and organizations aren't kept in check with this sort of thing. According to a report I heard on the radio a few weeks ago, in Italy, fascist association with teams is apparently almost encouraged at worst, tacitly approved of at best. Also, in every other country, fans are searched for fireworks and overly offensive/illegal banners. Italian checks are notoriously lax.

[typoon]

Originally posted by analogika:
I was just going to post about the fascist slogans. A huge banner reading "Rome is fascist" accompanied by swastikas and other, violently racist occurrences at the game are somewhat disconcerting on their own, even without the flares.

The problem is that Italian the Italian team camps and organizations aren't kept in check with this sort of thing. According to a report I heard on the radio a few weeks ago, in Italy, fascist association with teams is apparently almost encouraged at worst, tacitly approved of at best. Also, in every other country, fans are searched for fireworks and overly offensive/illegal banners. Italian checks are notoriously lax.

Even still. Once the fans started throwing Flares onto the field of play the riot squad should have been right in there and the stadium should have been shut. If it was mainly fans from the home team the team should be made to forfeit the match. Also I hope that after an incident like this they search fans better. Lax isn't the word I would use. Non-existant seems more like it.

[SSharon]

When I was in Israel a few years ago I went to the game between them and Austria. It was a world cup qualifier and Israel lost, but the game was great. The Austrian fans had their own sections and they were surrounded by Israeli soldiers. Everyone was searched before entering so the only violence was people throwing sunflower seeds at each other. There is a kind of moat around the field and people were climbing past it and on the fence around the field, but they were quickly dragged down by the police.

[von Wrangell]

Italian football authorities are an absolute disgrace. They are corrupt and have absolutely no control over how the teams or the fans behave. Also the power fans have in Italy is a bit scary.

And both Milan and Inter play on the same stadium so it shouldn't matter which set of fans started it. Both should be banned from European competitions for some time.

Though on a good side-note Liverpool and Juve played in Torino in the second game in a week 20 years after Heysel and all went relatively well.

[Eriamjh]

What's next, Molitov Cocktails?

[Mafia]

Originally Posted by Eriamjh

What's next, Molitov Cocktails?

HOPEFULLY!!!!

[effgee]

Originally Posted by Eriamjh

What's next, Molitov Cocktails?

nope ...



little green footballs ...

[nath]

Originally Posted by von Wrangell

Italian football authorities are an absolute disgrace. They are corrupt and have absolutely no control over how the teams or the fans behave. Also the power fans have in Italy is a bit scary.

And both Milan and Inter play on the same stadium so it shouldn't matter which set of fans started it. Both should be banned from European competitions for some time.

Compare and contrast with the response from UEFA when Turkish players were subjected to racist chants during the World Cup qualifier in Newcastle. England were threatened with immediate disqualification if the events were repeated. Apparently facism and violence on the stands is OK in Spain and Italy though.

Originally Posted by von Wrangell

Though on a good side-note Liverpool and Juve played in Torino in the second game in a week 20 years after Heysel and all went relatively well.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/foot...pe/4434413.stm

[analogika]

I went to a fight the other night, and a hockey game broke out.

-Rodney Dangerfield