SPQT*

Sonno pazzi questi tifosi

Hooliganism has reared its ugly head once again. I tifosi of both sides came out fighting after the Sicilian derby pitting 5th place Catania against 3rd place Palermo. In fact the game Friday was halted for about 30 minutes after tear gas used to stop fighting fans in the stands drifted to the pitch. The clashes between fans and later the police left about 70 injured and one fatality, local policeman Filippo Raciti, 38, who died when a bomb was thrown into his car as he came to help put order in the streets. Serie A and B football matches were stopped.

It almost shames me that my blogname resembles a common Italian cheer. Not even Ronaldo's transfer to the ACM last week could lift Italian soccer from the pits after the violence (as if it would have really mattered even without the violence).

It is good that Italian soccer authorities have done what they did, although some say, too late the hero. Nevertheless, they should make sure that when they allow games again, tougher laws should be in place and enforcement is carried out strictly. I hear that one thing they plan to do is to put the ballclubs accountable for actions of their tifosi. They could also ban hooligans -- remember that they once banned all Inter fans from watching the continuation of the the match against ACM.

* from SPQR (Senatus Populusque Romanus) or as some Romans say: Sonno pazzi questi Romani.