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AP
CATANIA, Sicily - Months after a match-fixing scandal rocked Italian soccer, the nation’s favorite sport was again in shock when massive fan rioting claimed the life of a police officer and injured scores of other people.
The death of the 38-year-old policeman during a match between Sicilian sides Catania and Palermo has already caused soccer officials to suspend this weekend’s matches — the first time in over a decade.
It left politicians wonder how to confront violence in soccer stadiums, with many calling for zero-tolerance measures and others looking to Britain — a country that has largely solved its hooliganism — for possible solutions.
It was a harsh reality for a country that just months ago celebrated the national side’s World Cup victory in Germany.
“Policeman killed, soccer under shock,” read the headline of Italy’s top newspaper Corriere della Sera. “We are talking about a cancer, not a seasonal flu,” wrote Gianni Mura, a leading soccer commentator, in Saturday’s editions of La Repubblica.
In a country where soccer is a religion for many, the Vatican paper also weighed in, calling the policeman’s death “unacceptable folly.”
“Let’s acknowledge this: soccer in Italy dies last night with the policeman,” said L’Osservatore Romano.
The rioting outside Catania’s Angelo Massimino stadium started during the second half of the match. Police fired tear gas, which wafted into the stadium and forced the match to be temporarily suspended.
The violence continued after the game, in which Palermo beat Catania 2-1, trapping hundreds of fans inside the stadium as authorities sought to avoid further violence. About 100 people were injured, according to RAI state-run TV.
Police detained 22 fans — including nine minors — and sealed off the stadium, reports said. None was suspected of killing the officer.
The officer, 38-year-old Chief Inspector Filippo Raciti, died after an explosive device was thrown into his vehicle, police said.
It was the second soccer-related death in less than a week, after a fourth-division team manager died last Saturday from injuries he received when he tried to stop a brawl during a game.
The most recent death in Serie A was in 1995, when 25-year-old Genoa fan Vincenzo Spagnolo was stabbed to death before a match between his team and AC Milan.
UEFA President Michel Platini expressed concern over the latest episode of violence in European soccer, and vowed to work with Italy to fight it.
The Italian soccer federation also canceled Wednesday’s friendly between Italy and Romania, and threatened to extend the suspension.
Zambia has won the African Cup of Nations, beating pre-tournament favorite Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties in a dramatic final at Stade de l'Amitie.
Alex Morgan's 2 goals, including the winner in stoppage time, lift the U.S. past New Zealand 2-1.
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Wesseling: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for AFC teams.
After leading by 18 points in the first half, the Los Angeles Lakers were staring at a four-point deficit with less than two minutes to play.
Ryan Callahan scored for the fifth time in four days and defenseman Ryan McDonagh snapped a second-period tie to lift the New York Rangers to a 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals on Sunday.