Italy fails to shrug off hooligan tag

Italy thought it was on the way to combating soccer violence until Sunday's riots were sparked by the killing of a Lazio fan by a police officer.

The soccer-mad nation has a long history of hooligan problems within its borders, partly born out of stark regional differences, fierce local rivalries and far-right political elements within the 'Ultra' groups that cause violence.

"These thugs have dishonoured not only sport, football and millions of Italians but also above all the memory of this young man killed in a tragic incident," Italy's sports minister Giovanna Melandri told la Repubblica.

The killing of a policeman during riots outside a top-flight game in Catania, Sicily in February prompted authorities to suspend the league for a short period and bring in tough new rules at soccer stadiums.

Modern electronic turnstiles were erected at some stadiums and more police were on the scene, while ticketing policy became much stricter.

A national body was also empowered to give risk ratings to individual games and ban away fans from travelling if need be.

The new regulations had a positive effect with officials saying last month that fan injuries caused by violence around stadiums had dropped 80 percent since last season.

The soccer authorities have always maintained though that the difficulty comes in tackling soccer-related violence away from stadiums.

The Lazio fan was shot by a police officer following scuffles with Juventus supporters at a motorway service station in the Tuscan city of Arezzo, with fans on route to games from various locations but nowhere near a stadium.

Police said the shooting was an accident and "a tragic error."

Calls to stop away fans from travelling to any stadium are growing but a suspension of the league for a long period has been labelled "wrong and hazardous" by soccer federation president Giancarlo Abete.

"We need to maintain lucidity and hope for the future," he told Radio Anch'io yesterday.

English football has clamped down on its hooligan element thanks to all-seater stadiums which appeal more to families, while the rising cost of watching top-flight matches has priced out some of those intent on causing trouble.

In contrast some of Italy's stadiums, even in the top Serie A division, are in need of drastic refurbishment meaning prices are relatively low and tickets easy to get hold of.

Italy, the world champions, lost out on hosting the European soccer championship in 2012 to Ukraine and Poland partly because of the hooligan problem.

Now the authorities will act in a bid to prevent further damage to Italy's proud football heritage.