Soccer: Derby of shame was ‘defeat for everyone’ – Prandelli
(ANSA) – Florence, November 12 – Italy coach Cesare Prandelli said the fact that a third-tier match had to be abandoned at the weekend following fan intimidation was a defeat for the whole of Italian football.
The Campania derby between Salerno hosts Salernitana and Nocerina was abandoned after 21 minutes when the visiting side were reduced to six men – below the minimum needed to continue the game – after a raft of players feigned injuries.
The Nocerina fans were angry about being banned from attending the game, which started 40 minutes late, due to concerns about crowd trouble. Before the match around 200 hard-core ‘ultra’ fans went to their team’s training camp and reportedly threatened the players not to play.
“We all lost,” Prandelli said at Italy’s training camp near Florence ahead of Friday’s friendly against Germany in Milan and Monday’s clash with Nigeria in London.
“It’s an episode that should make us reflect. Here we are not talking about ultras, but about criminals. It’s a social problem”. According to some reports, the Nocerina players were cowed by their fans because some have links to the infamously violent Campania mafia, the Camorra. The incident is unprecedented even in Italy’s long battle with soccer hooliganism and it caused widespread dismay, with the match being described as the “derby of shame” in the media.
Prandelli also saw it as an alarming sign. “Up to a little while ago, they used to say there was too much pressure (in Italian soccer),” said Prandelli.
“Today I say there is too much obsession. If we don’t act (world governing body) FIFA or (European governing body) UEFA could ask us to stop… I’m not very confident for the future”.
Salernitana were awarded a 3-0 win for Sunday’s match on Tuesday.
Prosecutors in Nocerina’s home town of Nocera Inferiore have opened a probe into the incident.
Up to now 22 people have been reported to prosectors for their alleged involvement and 23 have been issued with bans from attending sporting events.