Thursday, September 8, 2016

Italian fans boo Israeli anthem, give Nazi salute at World Cup qualifier

The Israel football association has complained to the Italian Football Federation after two Italian fans were thrown out of Monday's 2018 World Cup qualifier between the national teams in Haifa for giving the Nazi salute during the Italian national anthem.

Police chose to only remove the fans and didn't arrest them. Italy supporters were also recorded booing during the Israeli national anthem ‘Hatikva’, with several others being seen taunting religious Jewish fans and spitting at them.

"The Israeli Football Association will send the photos to the Italian federation with which we have a warm and brave relationship so that it can find and prosecute the sickening minority that wanted to tarnish the visiting fans, their team and their country," read an IFA statement. 

Italian Football Federation President Carlo Tavecchio called the Israeli ambassador to Italy, Francesco Maria Talo, to condemn the incident, saying that he hopes "the relevant authorities can determine as soon as possible what happened and identify those responsible." Italy won the match 3-1.