by the Sports Editor
Minister Piantedosi announces “the ban on the use by supporters of symbols that could recall Nazism”. No more players with the shirt that “recalls Hitler” like Buffon, Borriello or Praszelik. Pasalic still wears it in Atalanta
The government “takes the field” against anti-Semitism and this also affects the world of football. A specific specification will define «the methods with which, in the event of anti-Semitic chants, acts and expressions, the interruption of football competitions must be immediately ordered, with the simultaneous communication to the public present of the reasons for the interruption through a specific announcement made by means of loudspeakers and displays». This is what is foreseen in the declaration of intent for the fight against anti-Semitism signed today at the Viminale between the Minister of the Interior Matteo Piantedosi, the Minister for Sport and Youth Andrea Abodi, the National Coordinator for the fight against anti-Semitism Giuseppe Pecoraro and the president of the Italian Football Federation Gabriele Gravina.
In fact, the declaration of intent for the fight against anti-Semitism signed today at the Viminale also contains the ban on wearing the number 88 which, as recalled by the Minister of the Interior, Matteo Piantedosi. The 88 is used by neo-Nazi groups to symbolize the Heil Hitler greeting (the h is the eighth letter of the alphabet and, as Jewish communities across Europe point out, the HH is an irresistible call for the extreme right) . From today «the reference to the international definition of anti-Semitism is accepted. There is therefore a ban on the use by fans of symbols that can recall Nazism – Piantedosi wanted to recall -; empowering members to use non-discriminatory language in all public events; the definition of the procedures for interrupting matches in the event of episodes of discrimination. The proactive attitude of the companies in this field will also be positively evaluated».
In Italy, one of the first footballers who had ended up in the storm for the number 88 was Gigi Buffon: in the 2000-2001 season, when he was at Parma, he had asked to be able to wear the number 00 to symbolize “balls”, but the idea it hadn’t been approved by the Football Association, so the goalkeeper had just tacked on the double eight. After the criticisms, he then fell back on the 77. The same happened to Marco Borriello: in 2013, at the time of Roma, he had to change and choose the 31.
More recently, in January 2022, Verona – whose curve is famous for being right-wing – had announced the signing of the Pole Mateusz Praszelik who had, in fact, chosen the infamous 88. For him, however, only two appearances at the start of the season with that number and, subsequently, the move to Cosenza where he brought the 17. Furthermore, during the last Rome derby a fan – and not a footballer – showed up with a shirt dedicated to “Hitlerson” and obviously the recall to HH. Of course, all while the Curva biancoceleste dedicated heavily anti-Semitic chants to their rivals, also insulting the memory of Anne Frank.
June 27, 2023 (change June 27, 2023 | 18:16)
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