Italy Implements Ban on Number 88 Jersey in Football to Combat Anti-Semitic Policies
Italy Implements Ban on Number 88 Jersey in Football to Combat Anti-Semitic Policies
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| Italy Ban on Number 88 Jersey in Football |
Italy has banned the number 88 jersey in football to combat anti-Semitic policies. No player, whether in the national team, club, or based on age, will be allowed to wear this jersey. The matter was announced after a meeting between representatives of the Italian government and the president of the Italian Football Association (FIGC), Gabriele Gravina, on Tuesday.
The number 88 is associated with Nazi slogans. The numerical code for the salute "Heil Hitler" is also 88. In the English alphabet, the letter "H" is the eighth letter. Thus, the number 88 represents the abbreviated form of the salute "Heil Hitler." After the Second World War, neo-Nazis began using code 88 to promote neo-Nazi ideology.
In March, during the Lazio-Roma derby at the Stadio Olimpico, a German supporter brought a jersey with the inscription "Hitler's Son" and the number 88. As a result, he and two others were banned for life. Following the incident, there were numerous anti-Semitic comments heard in the stadium gallery, and as a consequence, access to a match of the penalized club was prohibited.
An additional condition has been included in the agreement between the Italian government and FIGC. If any anti-Semitic slogans or related activities are observed during a match, the game will be suspended, and guidelines on how to handle such situations will be established. Italy's Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi also commented on this issue, stating, "We can still witness this intolerable behavior in our stadiums, and effective measures will be taken against it."
Previously, the Jewish community in Italy had requested the government to take appropriate measures to prevent anti-Semitic slogans and activities in stadiums. Following the Lazio-Roma match, Ruth Durelli, the president of Rome's Jewish community, tweeted, "Everyone is avoiding this (anti-Semitism). What can we possibly do?"
Two weeks before this Lazio-Roma match, nearly 100 Lazio supporters proudly expressed their discriminatory views in videos. In addition to that, Lazio's supporters insulted the fathers of Roma supporters, referring to them as "Nazis in a concentration camp."
