President of the Players’ Association Damiano Tommasi agrees with Roma patron James Pallotta that the Italian fan-club rapport is “not normal.”
The controversy erupted this week with two separate incidents, as first Roma ultras earned a ban on the Curva Sud by displaying banners insulting Antonella Leardi, the mother of murdered Napoli fan Ciro Esposito.
President of the Players’ Association Damiano Tommasi agrees with Roma patron James Pallotta that the Italian fan-club rapport is “not normal.”
The controversy erupted this week with two separate incidents, as first Roma ultras earned a ban on the Curva Sud by displaying banners insulting Antonella Leardi, the mother of murdered Napoli fan Ciro Esposito.
When Pallotta condemned them and said he would not appeal the ban, he found himself on the end of threats and insults too.
On Friday the Cagliari squad was physically attacked by around 30 ultras who broke into the club house, as the ‘usual’ threats degenerated into a brawl.
“It’s one thing to have a symbiotic relationship between team and fans, but quite another to owe people an explanation for your work,” AIC President Tommasi told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“We must make players aware of their role. They must be informed, looked after and given a different sense of responsibility.
“The rapport between fans and teams must be made more normal, because overseas nobody would even dream of doing what we do in Italy.
“Everyone must play their part, from the club to authorities in charge of public safety.”
Pallotta’s fight against “bad fans” was largely met with silence from the other club Presidents, who do not want to aggravate the ultras.
“Pallotta expressed inarguable ideas,” continued ex-Roma midfielder Tommasi.
“Someone like him who hasn’t been in Italian football for years isn’t yet jaded to these incidents and can still react like that. In other countries sports fans behave in a completely different way.
“We mustn’t make this a personal battle for Pallotta against violent fans, because this involves the whole system.
“It would also benefit us economically, as the appeal of other Leagues is partly dictated by the feeling of safety inside stadiums.”
Tommasi is unsure about the call to ban all banners from Serie A stadiums after the Leardi incident.
“It would be a shame to lose some of the ironic and humorous banners that have gone down in history too.”