Italy-England, threats from Naples: match between fans cancelled

A match between Italy and England fans scheduled in Naples on Thursday, ahead of the two sides’ Euro 2024 qualifying match, will be canceled for security reasons after organizers received “credible threats of violence” from a group of local fans, according to the times.

The case

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Garford Beck, one of the organisers, recounted the situation to the British newspaper: “I received a threatening and rather sinister email saying it came from a group of Napoli ultras, in which it was said to be careful because 60 fans would come to the meeting to harm us. I passed the email to my counterpart at the FIGC with whom I was organizing the event and asked to check with the local police if it was credible. The answer, after the checks, was that they were very concerned and that they considered it a very credible threat ”. Figc and Naples authorities should cancel the event. “And it’s a shame, because in addition to the financial implications of organizing such an event we were looking forward to playing and having a few beers with our Italian friends,” Beck told the Times.

The event

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Naples is expecting about 3,000 English fans on Thursday for the match between Italy and England at the Maradona stadium, which paves the way for Euro 2024. The city is still shaken after last week’s clashes before the Champions League match between Spalletti’s team and Eintracht Frankfurt, but English fans would have received ample assurances that they are in no danger by going to the Maradona. The match between fans, however, is not to be done.