Serie A at Risk...

The new identity card scheme may do more damage than good to the Italian top flight. Most fans are united against such a measure, and slowly key ultra groups are taking the extreme step of disbanding rather than subjecting themselves to this "check".

Lazio’s Curva Nord recently announced their decision to disband ahead of the coming season and with Catania Ultras also following suit, the spectacle which derives from the organised fan groups within the Italian game could soon be a thing of the past.

“It is with much regret that we have decided to disband leaving behind what has always been our second home – the Stadio Olimpico’s Curva Nord,” read an official statement to Lazialita.it.

“As free men, we will never accept the idea that ‘someone’ can decide who can and who can’t enter the stadium to support our Lazio.

“Out with the ultras from the stadium! We will take with us our choreographies and our chants and leave behind what they have pressed for – empty cathedrals.”

The game will be poorer without the ultras... for most of us, its the ultras who define the italian game, with their awesome choreographies and chants... it will be a huge loss to the unique identity of the Italian game.

The season ticket sales have also hit a low, in response to the card, and there is a real danger that the games will be played to empty stadiums this season. I just hope that authorities review this fan card system before its too late.... violence needs to be controled, but not at the expense of the fans of the game... this is not the way... what do you guys think? Specially the ones in Italy (abundance/pirlo)?

What is the fan card system?

fcb wrote:What is the fan card system?

Its like a fan identity card, which will be needed to get into stadiums next season... By ensuring all supporters get the card, which includes a police check prior to being issued with the card, the authorities will be able to stop fans with any criminal record from entering the stadia... kind of a drivers licence type control of frequent offenders I guess...

It's a customer ID card, with a format similar to the European driving license (credit-card like with photo).

It will be required to buy tickets for away games and to access the stadium.

If it's revoked for any misbehaving, the owner will not be able to go to the games.
As of today, you can be banned temporarly if you get a DASPO order from the police, for rioting or other offences, which has to be cross checked against your ID when you get to the game.

The Fan Card scheme will streamline this process, putting it under the supervision of the club itself, and if I understand it correctly there will also be more discretionary power for banning you, and lifetime bans will also be allowed.


There's much controversy around it.
I guess there are similar schemes in other countries, and it should help a lot in banning the fuckos from the stadia.
On the other hand, it's an additional layer of ID profiling and control, with all your personal data and customer history in the hand of both the club and the police.
We already have a strong citizen ID card scheme in place in Italy, there should not be the need for an additional layer to make things works.
Having to be profiled and monitored just to access a public event is not a nice perspective for civil liberties.

Of course, the Ultras aren't just exactly the kind of people that have interest in civil rights battles, their protest is fueled by the fact that they won't be able anymore to do whatever the f@ck they like when they go to games, and are pointing at the costitutional issues just to protect their privileges, but the issues remain.

Also the DASPO law, which basically enabled penalties on suspicions of misbehaving, without the need of a guilty verdict, was in a very grey area of costitutional conformance.
Ultras case aside, those are not good signals for our democracy.

The Ultras might be bluffing. If the clubs manage to get attendences up from other segments then the Ultras will eventually come back because they won't be able to control things to such a degree. I know they are principled but eventually I think they would come back.