A row on an Inter fan death and
monkey chants against Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly during
Boxing Day's 1-0 Nerazzurri win rumbled on on Friday.
Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said it had been wrong to
make Inter play two games behind closed doors and a third with
its ultra curva empty.
"Closing stadiums and banning fan movements penalise real
fans, who should be distinguished from the criminals, and it is
the wrong response," said Salvini.
Serie A coaches were split on Napoli boss Carlo Ancelotti's
call to stop games after racist chants.
Lazio coach Simone Inzaghi said he agreed with the idea.
"I agree with Ancelotti...stopping can be a solution to be
tackled in the future," he said.
He said he also agreed with coaches' federation chief Renzo
Ulivieri, who had proposed the same move.
Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini said it would have been a
"stupid" idea to stop the match.
"The idea of suspending matches and sending people home is an
enormously stupid idea," he said.
"Some 60,000 people go to the San Siro: closing stadiums is a
decision that perplexes me".
AC Milan manager Gennaro Gattuso said crowds should applaud
to drown out monkey chants.
"If 50,000 people applaud above those four imbeciles, racist
chants won't be heard," he said.
Gattuso added: "Koulibaly is a tank and the opposing fans are
scared of him. Let's not hammer Italy, in other civilised
countries I've seen banana skins thrown.
"We're all the same, black and white. We mustn't forget
Heysel, Scirea or Superga".
Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri said he was against
stopping games and closing stadiums.
"I don't tolerate any form of racism or insults, also towards
the dead and the tragedies that have happened," he said.
"But unfortunately in Italy we have lost a little of what ws
our education and respect.
"Stopping games? Closing stadiums? It's not up to us to
decide. I'm for going ahead, the problem needs to be sorted at
source. Technology at grounds can go and get those stirring up
trouble".
Inter coach Luciano Spalletti said "the time has come to say
enough to hate in soccer" including racist chants.
Roma coach Eusebio Di Francesco also said he agreed with
Ancelotti's call to halt play.
Premier Giuseppe Conte said in his end-of-year press
conference that the fan's death was "unacceptable" and he was in
favour of suspending Serie A "for a fruitful reflection".
He said, however, that he would "leave the decision up to the
competent authorities".
Daniele Belardinelli, 39, a far-right ultra leader from
Inter's twinned Serie D club Varese, was run over by an SUV
while Inter fans armed with hammers, sickles and iron bars
attacked Napoli vans and coaches.
Milan Prefect Renato Saccone said there would be a meeting of
the city's security committee in January.
Salvini said he would meet both ultra and other fan groups in
the New Year.
Police said they would question the three Inter fans arrested
on Saturday.
They were named as Luca Da Ros, Francesco Baj and Simone
Tira, all under 30.
Italian soccer's sporting judge ruled that Inter will play
two games to an empty stadium plus a third with curva fans
banned because of the chants.
Koulibaly and Napoli's Italy striker Lorenzo Insigne both got
a two-match ban from Italy's sporting judge on Thursday.
Koulibaly was banned for a red card issued after he applauded
the ref for booking him while Insigne was banned for insulting
the ref.
Belardinelli, the dead Inter fan, had in the past received
two five-year DASPO bans for hooliganism.
Interior Minister Salvini said he would call a meeting of
fans groups in Serie A and Serie B at the start of the year "so
that soccer may return to being a moment of enjoyment and not
violence.
"We'll see if we can do what others have not managed to do,"
said the leader of the far-right populist League party, who is
an ardent fan of the other Milanese team, AC Milan.
Former premier Paolo Gentiloni slammed Salvini for
"consorting with ultras", referring to the minister's recent
meeting with an ultra leader he had never met before, who turned
out to have a past conviction for drug pushing.
Saturday's Serie A game between Empoli and Inter will be
restricted to fans living in Tuscany, a regional public order
body decided Friday.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
