FIGC director general Michele Uva has reacted to recent episodes of football-related violence, saying that it is ‘not just an Italian phenomenon’.
Clashes between fans of Roma and CSKA Moscow erupted in midweek before and during the clubs’ Champions League encounter at the Stadio Olimpico, leading to a handful of arrests and a group of fans detained.
FIGC director general Michele Uva has reacted to recent episodes of football-related violence, saying that it is ‘not just an Italian phenomenon’.
Clashes between fans of Roma and CSKA Moscow erupted in midweek before and during the clubs’ Champions League encounter at the Stadio Olimpico, leading to a handful of arrests and a group of fans detained.
Today, the Italian Football Federation’s director general has discussed the continued fallout from this latest episode.
“I want to eliminate some of the clichés”, Uva has told Radio Rai. “A year ago in the Netherlands the Cup Final was abandoned because of violence, it is a problem all around Europe.
“For the last three or four years, since the rules became more stringent, incidents have stopped taking place inside the stadiums.
“Now the episodes of violence happen far from the stadiums, in the cities. This is not a just an Italian phenomenon and violence has been eliminated inside stadiums.
“Furthermore, someone who holds a gun in their pocket is a common criminal, not a fan.”
Uva was also questioned as to whether the decrease in stadium violence could lead to the removal of the controversial and unpopular fan identity cards required to attend away matches, the ‘tessera del tifoso’.
“We definitely need to make it easier to buy tickets and access the stadiums and we will need the collaboration of all parties to begin a dialogue about progress.”
On a more positive note, he was delighted that the Stadio Olimpico in Rome was recently awarded hosting rights for four matches at Euro 2020, including a quarter-final.
“It is a great result to have been awarded four matches of Euro 2020, it allows us to begin planning several sports facility projects.
“Recent events have not helped us, but to have been given a quarter-final is a matter of great prestige.”