Napoli were very harshly treated by Lega Calcio last week. The match against Genoa was played without fans and the empty stadium at San Paolo contributed to the lackluster play and could very well have cost Napoli some precious points this season. The impact of 50,000 screaming Napoletanos at San Paolo has raised the club’s level of play on many occasions. Anyone who watched or listened to the Genoa match could feel the squad was somehow playing shorthanded.

Lega Calcio punished Napoli for the behavior of their tifosi during last week’s match with Livorno. Now it appears likely, the behavior was part of an orchestrated movement by the Camorra to blackmail the club for their own personal gain. The Camorra  are demanding free tickets and percentage cut of merchandise sales. Having been thwarted by Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentis, the Camorra took things into their own hands. In an attempt to exert their influence, the Camorra organized the throwing of flares and bottles and displayed banners all in an attempt to prompt Lega Calcio to punish Napoli. They were also connected with an incident last year with Frosinone which led to another match being played behind closed doors.

Corruption within most of Italy, and specifically the calico hierarchy, is a given. Justice is merited out with an uneven hand and a view to maintaining the “big” clubs position. But knowing that your own fans are willingly and maliciously turning on the club for personal gain is sickening. Life in Napoli is difficult, hectic and dangerous. And that’s just crossing the street to pick up the Gazetto Dello Sport.

The squad is a necessary and vital part of the city. This is no idle pastime. S.S.C. Napoli is as much a part of the Napoletano experience as seeing the Cristo Velato, taking a hydrofoil to Capri or the constant blaring of car horns and shouts of “vaffanculo” from cab drivers. Watching a city and region who support their side like no other south of Rome, despite having far less disposable income, be punished by its own is tragic.

In related news:

Inter (€25,000), Roma (€15,000), Juventus (€7,000), Livorno (€6,000) and Parma fined (€1,000) were all fined for fan behavior. The offenses included throwing fireworks, injuring stewards, bottle tossing (what the hell is this some secondary Italian sport that has gone unreported?), setting flares and generally being unmitigated pains in the asses. Napoli’s fine for essentially the same thing? A one match band. Ah, the hands of justice.
 

All the air went out of Napoli this afternoon as the FIGC has ruled the match on Sunday be played behind closed doors.  We’ve been through this all last year with the tragedy in Catania. Clubs could no longer ask and receive a temporary waiver to bypass the security measures each stadium was expected to have. The result was that many clubs played behind closed doors for much of the ‘ritorno’ portion of last year’s season. San Paolo was closed for three or four matches before being open to just season ticket holders and then finally opening up to all fans by the end of the season. The matches were dire and surreal. While there was a novelty aspect to hearing coaches shout instructions from the sidelines, the lack of songs and crowd roar made the matches difficult to watch.

Calcio matches in Italy are very different than MLS matches in the U.S. or even football matches in other parts of the world. The flares going off in team colors, the Ultras in the Curva, the big flags waving and the crude banners are all part of the experience. It’s not for the faint of heart and not suited for the “soccer mom” mentality so prevalent in the United States.

The sentence came down today due to fan behavior last night at the Livorno match.  Fireworks and bottles were hurtled onto the pitch from fans. While the match wasn’t interrupted because of what was thrown the 4th official is said to have been hit with a bottle. Additionally, there was a banner hanging in the Curva (which was subsequently taken down) with the words “Livorno merda” on it. Well, if the shoe fits?

It’s no use trying to defend the actions of either the fans or of the FIGC. Napoletani’s are capable of the vilest and crudest gestures and then turning around and giving you the shirt off their backs and inviting you in for an espresso and some struffoli. All I’ll say is I don’t believe the same sentence would be handed down if this were Juventus. Of course, would Juve players notice if their fans didn’t show up to support them?

Update: Details are now starting to come in about the events which led to decision to play the Genoa match behind closed doors. In the 35th minute of the second half four bottles were thrown on the pitch including a half empty yogurt bottle (they sell yogurt in bottles?) which struck one of the two linesmen, Francesco De Luca…in the knee.

At the end of the match, De Luca noticed he had a bruise on his knee. So exactly how hard do you need to throw a half-empty bottle of yogurt in order to cause a bruise? If you’ve ever been to or seen San Paolo, you know the stands are very far away from the action. That is one strong-armed Napoletano.

The other egregious offensives were the “offensive” banner which read “Livorno merde.” The banner was quickly removed by the 7th minute of the first half and another banner was visible in Curva A aimed at Hellas Verona and their bastardi gialloblu brigate. I mean it’s always a good time to offend Verona isn’t it? Apparently the FIGC doesn’t think so.

Also, the Inter Milan match at the San Siro is being rated a “level 4” security risk. It’s unlikely Napoli fans will be allowed to enter the stadium. On the plus side, this is the first Napoli match I can think of since…well since forever where a Napoli game will be broadcast in English. Fox Soccer Channel is set to show the match live in the States on October 6 (my 40th birthday!).