Italy takes action against referee violence
Sports Minister Andrea Abodi announced that in an effort to reduce the number of assault charges in sports like soccer, referees in Italy will now have the same legal protections as police officers and other public authorities.
Under a revised penal code, violent crimes against match officials, like as shoving, punching, or threatening, will carry even harsher punishments, including possible jail time. After months of negotiations between the Italian Soccer Referees Association and the government, the action was taken.
The law, which is a component of a decree that the Italian government adopted late Friday, provides security to all officials who oversee the fair conduct of athletic events.
A major concern in Italian soccer is the abuse of match officials at all levels. As a protest, Serie A officials wore black smudges on their cheeks during games in December to draw attention to the problem.
One well-known instance occurred last season when Diego Alfonzetti, then 19 years old, officiated a youth game in Sicily and was attacked.
Before the Lazio-Rome Serie A derby in April, Alfonzetti was asked to join the match officials on the field as a show of solidarity.
“Loyalty and sharing define sport. “From tomorrow onwards, violent behavior and aggression against referees will be punished without delay, even with prison time,” Senator Andrea Ostellari, a junior justice minister, warned those who do not accept it.
