skip to main content

Catania to play behind closed doors

Catania must play the rest of their games this season behind closed door
Catania must play the rest of their games this season behind closed door

Catania have been ordered to play the rest of their home matches this season at neutral venues and behind closed doors as punishment for the violence that killed a policeman at a Serie A match this month.

The ban on the Massimino Stadium, which was handed down by the disciplinary committee of the Italian Football League on Wednesday, will last until June 30.

Catania were also fined €50,000 after Italian policeman Filippo Raciti was killed outside the ground during rioting by hard-core ultra fans at the Sicilian derby with Palermo on Feb. 2.

A statement on the Football League's Web site said the ban reflected 'the gravity of the events and the real danger posed by these acts of violence' that had left an 'indelible mark in the memory and the collective consciousness.'

The punishment also took into consideration 'the absolute uselessness of sanctions already inflicted on Catania for previous acts of violence by its supporters.'

Last September the club was fined and ordered to play two matches behind closed doors after its fans fought with supporters of Messina and Palermo.

The club's chief executive attacked the severity of ban, saying the sentence would 'bring the city to its knees.'

'It was clear that our responsibility was limited by the fact that the violence happened outside the ground,' Italy's ANSA news agency quoted Pietro Lo Monaco as saying.
 
Catania's next two Serie A matches - against Fiorentina on 18 February and Inter Milan on 25 February - are home fixtures.

The Football League said it would announce the venue for both games later this week.

Read Next