Juventus fined for fan behavior during Matsola tribute

Rome - AFP - The Italian Serie A football league imposed a fine of 10,000 euros on Juventus due to the behavior of some fans who failed to observe a minute of silence on Sunday in honor of Italian football legend Sandro Mazzola.

The Italian Football Federation stated in a statement: “Juventus was fined 10,000 euros after a small number of fans in the first tier of the south stand displayed a clear lack of respect for the minute of silence mandated by the Italian Football Federation.”

The federation clarified that the penalty was “mitigated” given the club’s “prompt official stance against this regrettable behavior, as well as the disavowal by the rest of the fans present at the stadium.”

Juventus had faced a potential fine of up to 50,000 euros, or even playing a match without spectators.

Before the start of all matches in the fifth round of the Italian Serie A over the previous weekend, players and fans observed a minute of silence in tribute to Mazzola, the former Inter Milan and Italy national team star, who died on Saturday at the age of 83.

Before the start of Juventus’s match against Atalanta at the Allianz Stadium, a section of the “Old Lady” fans turned their backs to the pitch and chanted during the minute of silence dedicated to honoring Mazzola, who spent his entire football career with Inter Milan, the traditional rival toward whom hardline Juventus supporters have held a historic animosity.

Before the end of the match, Juventus had issued a statement expressing its condemnation of the fans’ behavior.

The most decorated club in the history of Italian football wrote: “No competition can justify a lack of respect during a minute of silence. Honoring the memory of the deceased and uniting in remembrance during moments of tribute is a shared responsibility that transcends affiliations and colors.”

Several former Juventus stars also condemned the fans’ behavior, including former Italian international Marco Tardelli, who described the incident as “one of the darkest moments.”