© EuroFootball.com
The new UEFA president, Michel Platini, fully supported the decision of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) to suspend all football-related activities in the country following the death of a police officer after Friday's "Serie A" match between "Catania" and "Palermo".
"First of all, I and the whole European football family want to express our sincere condolences to the family of the deceased police officer, Filippo Raciti," said M. Platini.
"Any form of violence is unacceptable and has no place in football - we do not tolerate it, we must oppose it and we must do something to eradicate it. Therefore, UEFA fully supports the decision of FIGC president Luca Pancalli to indefinitely postpone all matches of the Italian national team and clubs until further notice," said the UEFA president.
"The death of a PSG fan last year and the riots caused by Feyenoord fans in Nancy, as well as this latest episode, increase our concern about the return of violence to football. Now, with the help of FIGC authorities and politicians, we must address the issues related to Italian football and find a solution to deal with violence in European football," Platini concluded.
