Juventus’ away game at Genoa on Saturday will be played behind closed doors following violent clashes between Rossoblu and Genoa ultras midweek. The decision comes after a Coppa Italia derby match between Genoa and Sampdoria ultras.
Genoa took on their city rivals Sampdoria on Wednesday, losing on penalties in the Coppa Italia second round. The two teams’ ultras clashed on several occasions throughout the day, leading to eight arrests and at least nine persons hospitalized after sustaining injuries.
As a result, the prefect of Genoa officially confirmed on Friday that the Rossoblu’s home Serie A game against Juventus at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris would be played behind closed doors.
Ansa adds that the two fanbases will also be banned from the next three away games.
It means that Genoa fans won’t be able to travel to Atalanta, Lazio and Parma, while Sampdoria supporters will be prohibited from following their team at Modena, Cesena and Cittadella.
Paolo Cortis, President of the National Observatory on Sporting Events, said on Friday that Genoa-Juventus should be played behind closed doors to send a ‘signal’ following violent ultras clashes. Cortis said, as quoted by Football Italia:
“We knew it was an explosive situation. The clubs did everything possible to avoid problems, but when we talk about this level of violent ultras, the sporting interest really is minimal. There were 36 people wounded, which is too bad.
The update means that for the first time this season, Juventus and Genoa will have to play in front of an empty stadium for Saturday’s Serie A fixture.
Several arrests were made in the aftermath, and upwards of 38 people were injured ,many of whom were police officers attempting to disperse the fiery crowds.
Both Genoa and Sampdoria are expected to face the consequences after the unsavoury scenes after the Coppa Italia match.
Paolo Cortis, President of the National Observatory on National Sporting Events, warned in an interview published on Friday that the measures had been taken against Genoa to ‘send a signal’ to other clubs and their supporters.
Aftermath of the Violent Clashes
Police in riot gear were targeted as fans threw fireworks, bottles and other objects at each other. Police used water hoses to bring the fans under control, with order being restored at around 2:30 am.
At least eight people have reportedly been arrested.
Derbies: A History of Violence
Since Genoa is in Serie A and Sampdoria is in Serie B, it was the only meeting this season between the two city clubs that share Luigi Ferraris Stadium. They hadn’t met in more than two years. Domestic media say that trouble had been brewing in the city of Genoa for the past few months, amid skirmishes between both sides' ultras.
Sending a Message
Cortis’ words mean that the Genoa Prosecutor will likely rule that the game on Saturday will be played without a crowd.
The situation has prompted both clubs to face potential sanctions, which could result in a ban on supporters for the upcoming game. Paolo Corti, President of the National Observatory on National Sporting Events, has acknowledged that there will be consequences for the incident.
As it stands, it appears that fans will not be allowed into the stadium when Juventus visits Genoa this weekend.
The Impact of the Ban
[Juve FC Says
Our players have played behind closed doors on several occasions, and this situation should not be a blow to us.](https://www.juvefc.com/juventus-match-against-genoa-could-be-played-behind-closed-doors/)
We should make good use of that to earn a win as Genoa would be without their supporters to cheer them on.
It remains to be seen what the long-term consequences will be for the clubs, but the incident has served as a stark reminder of the challenges faced by Italian football in tackling fan violence.
