Italy’s soccer team fined for fans’ anti-Semitic behavior

National team penalized more than $30,000 over supporters’ fascist salutes during national anthems in Haifa game

The FIFA World Cup 2018 qualification match between Israel and Italy at the Sami Ofer stadium in Haifa on September 5, 2016. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
The FIFA World Cup 2018 qualification match between Israel and Italy at the Sami Ofer stadium in Haifa on September 5, 2016. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

The international soccer governing body FIFA slapped a more than $30,000 fine on Italy’s national soccer team for the anti-Semitic behavior of some of its fans at a match in Haifa.

FIFA fined the Italian team 30,000 Swiss francs, or about $31,000, for the “improper and discriminatory” behavior of team Italy fans who gave the fascist salute during the playing of the national anthems ahead of the Italy-Israel match held in Haifa on September 5.

“A fine is never good news, but I am very proud to have raised the case on our portal,” said a spokesman for the Union of Italian Jewish Communities, or UCEI, which had first brought attention to the incident on its news website, www.moked.it.

A FIFA committee later this month is set to issue recommendations on whether to allow Israeli teams to play in West Bank venues following a complaint filed by the Palestinian Football Association accusing its Israeli counterpart of violating FIFA rules by holding games without permission on the territory of another member group.

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