Italian Premier Romano Prodi promised drastic measures and a “radical change.”

“People must understand that there must be a turning point,” he said. “We can’t keep risking the lives of law police officers.”

Prodi said the interior minister, Giuliano Amato, and the sports minister, Giovanna Melandri, would meet Monday to discuss long-term measures. Amato, whose job puts him is in charge of the country’s police, said he would not send officers to stadiums under the existing conditions.

Violence is not new to this soccer-crazed country. Fans have been caught throwing flares, coins or other objects that sometimes hit players or referees. In 2001, Inter Milan fans managed to ride a moped up to and around the mezzanine level of Milan’s San Siro stadium; they then pushed the riderless bike down concrete stairs inside the stadium, sending other fans dodging for safety.

In 2005, faced with a surge in violence in stadiums across Italy, the conservative government led by Silvio Berlusconi passed tougher measures, including tickets with holders’ names printed on them and video surveillance at stadiums with more than 10,000 seats.

Last year, soccer officials had a different problem to deal with, as the sport was engulfed in the worst match-fixing scandal in decades, leaving millions of fans disillusioned and angry. The scandal caused the demotion of powerhouse Juventus, while four other Serie A teams started the season with point penalties.

Even then there were suggestions that leagues should be halted until soccer was properly cleaned up — but play resumed late last year as usual.

Following the violence, the president of the players’ association, Sergio Campana, said soccer should shut down for a year. Given the business revolving around soccer, the proposal was little more than provocation, but many are wondering just how to tackle the problem.

Italy’s World Cup winning coach Marcello Lippi said soccer clubs needed to take more responsibility.

“The clubs should say to their fans that instead of acquiring players to reinforce their teams, the money is directed to guarantee safety, just like they do in England,” Lippi told the ANSA news agency Saturday.

Soccer in Britain was plagued by hooliganism throughout the 1970s and ’80s. English teams were banned from European competition for five years after 39 people were killed at the 1985 European Cup final at the Heysel stadium in Brussels when Liverpool fans charged their Juventus counterparts and a stadium wall collapsed.

After another stadium disaster in 1989, the British government passed legislation to improve safety at matches. All-seater stadiums were introduced, along with strict ticketing arrangements, registration of known hooligans and controls on alcohol.

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