A Lazio soccer fan was killed yesterday during a clash with
Juventus team supporters at a highway rest stop, and authorities
are reportedly investigating whether the victim might have been
killed by a stray police warning shot.
TV reports said the victim was a 26-year-old disc jockey from
Rome who was a Lazio fan. He had reportedly been headed to Lazio's
match in Milan against Inter Milan before becoming involved in a
clash with Juventus supporters.
The Italian soccer federation announced that the game will be
postponed to a date to be determined. Yesterday's other games
started 10 minutes late and players and referees wore black
armbands.
The Italian news agency ANSA said a police officer apparently
used a pistol to fire a warning shot in the air to break up the
clash beside the A1 highway near Arezzo in Tuscany. TV news reports
said investigations were under way over whether the shot might have
killed the fan.
Sky TG24 TV quoted witnesses as saying the Juventus fans were
traveling in two vans from Naples on their way to Parma for the
Juventus-Parma match.
A rest stop employee was quoted as saying he was getting out of
his car in the parking lot when he saw a policeman and heard a
shot, but couldn't see what happened.
Clashes between rival fans at rest stops are common in
Italy.
Premier Romano Prodi was attending Mass when he was informed by
Italy's interior minister about the death. He later described the
fan violence as "very worrisome".
The death prompted clashes between ultra fans and police in
Bergamo, where AC Milan was due to play Atalanta.
Last season, a policeman was killed in riots following a game
between Palermo and Catania in Sicily. Under new anti-violence
measures this season, some fans have been barred from traveling to
games.
(China Daily via Agencies November 12, 2007)