FIGC President Gabriele Gravina has confirmed that there are plans afoot for games in Italy to be stopped if racist chanting is heard.
Play was controversially allowed to continue after Kalidou Koulibaly was subjected to racist abuse during Napoli’s 1-0 defeat to Inter on Boxing Day.
FIGC President Gabriele Gravina has confirmed that there are plans afoot for games in Italy to be stopped if racist chanting is heard.
Play was controversially allowed to continue after Kalidou Koulibaly was subjected to racist abuse during Napoli’s 1-0 defeat to Inter on Boxing Day.
That was followed by Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini playing down the incident and rejecting the idea of suspending matches.
“I respect the ideas of Minister Salvini, but the FIGC must follow the directives of FIFA and UEFA,” Gravina told Gazzetta dello Sport.
“At the next Federal Council at the end of the month, we’ll simplify the process of suspending matches.
“Games will be temporarily suspended and the teams will gather in the centre of the pitch.
“If the chants continue, they’ll go into the dressing room. At that point, the person in charge of public safety will decide whether to suspend or resume the game.
“It’s unthinkable that the referee should take responsibility of sending 50,000 people home.
“There are people who work with the federal prosecutor and the official of the Interior Ministry: they’ll be the ones who report to the fourth man and inform them to activate the procedure.
“I believe responsibilities should be personal, otherwise we’ll become prisoners of a few thugs.
“The strict liability of clubs is a cornerstone of the justice code, but there could be exemptions.
“If the rest of the stadium, for example, is louder than the boos and showing signs of disapproval, we’ll have to take that into account too.”