Italian soccer coaches call for Israel to be suspended by UEFA and FIFA over Gaza war

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a day ago

Carabinieri, the Italian paramilitary police, patrol ahead of the Nations League soccer match between Italy and Israel, outside the Bluenergy stadium in Udine, Italy, Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. (Andrea Bressanutti/LaPresse via AP, file)
MILAN — The Italian Soccer Coaches' Association is pushing for Israel to be suspended from international competition over the war in Gaza.
Ahead of Italy's crucial World Cup qualifiers against Israel in the next two months, the AIAC says 'Israel must stop. Soccer must also take action.'
The AIAC has written a formal letter to the Italian soccer federation, to be forwarded to European and world soccer's governing bodies, calling for Israel to be suspended.
Gabriele Gravina, the president of the Italian soccer federation, is also senior vice-president of UEFA.
'The AIAC Board of Directors unanimously believes that, given the daily massacres, which have also resulted in hundreds of deaths among managers, coaches, and athletes … it is legitimate, necessary, indeed a duty, to place at the centre of federation talks the request, to be submitted to UEFA and FIFA, for the temporary exclusion of Israel from sporting competitions,' the letter concludes.
'Because the pain of the past cannot cloud anyone's conscience and humanity.'
Italy is set to play Israel on neutral turf in Debrecen, Hungary on Sept. 8, before hosting the return match in Udine on Oct. 14.
'We could just focus on playing, looking the other way. But we believe that is not right,' AIAC vice president Giancarlo Camolese said.
The Azzurri also played Israel in Udine last October in a Nations League match that saw protests before and during the game and intense security measures, including snipers on the roof of the stadium.
Since then the situation has continued to deteriorate with the Palestinian death toll from the 22-month war passing 62,000 earlier this month and an ever-worsening humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, which experts say is sliding into famine.
The UN last week warned that starvation and malnutrition in the Palestinian territory are at their highest levels since the war began with the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, in which the militants abducted 251 people and killed around 1,200, mostly civilians.
'The world is in flames. Many people like the Palestinians are suffering,' AIAC vice-president Francesco Perondi said. 'Indifference is unacceptable.'
Russian teams have been suspended by UEFA and FIFA since days after the full invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 because future opponents clearly said they would not play those games in international competitions. No team in a UEFA member federation has refused to play an Israeli opponent.
The AIAC sent the letter after an unanimous vote by its board of directors.
The association has around 18,000 members, consisting of coaches and technical staff at all levels of Italian soccer — from Serie A to amateur leagues.
A spokesperson told The Associated Press that, while it did not consult all its members, 'the letter of appeal represents the widespread feelings present within the large community of Italian coaches.'
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Daniella Matar, The Associated Press