Italy has indefinitely suspended domestic and international soccer matches after clashes by rampaging fans left a policeman dead and more than 70 people injured in the southern city of Catania Friday evening.
Police inspector Stefano Raciti, 38, was killed when a home-made bomb was thrown into his car outside the city's Massimino stadium during clashes with hooligans following a Serie A match between Palermo and Catania.
Police said on Saturday they arrested 14 fans, including nine between the ages of 15 and 17.
The violence was sparked by hundreds of hooded hooligans after the evening derby leaving at least 71 injured.
Catania prosecutors Renato Papa and Ignazio Fonzo said they would review television coverage of the derby and impound the stadium pending investigations into its security.
Raciti's death came only six days after the manager of the amateur team Sammartinese died from a brain haemorrhage following a beating by rival fans in the southern region of Calabria.
The Italian Soccer Federation (FIGC) immediately called a halt to all soccer matches, including an international friendly against Romania in Siena on Wednesday.
The Under-21 national team's friendly against Belgium on Tuesday in Chieti was also called off.
"Suspending matches for a weekend is not enough. Until we come up with drastic measures we wont start again," said FIGC special commissioner Luca Pancalli.
Pancalli said he would hold an emergency meeting on Monday with Interior Minister Giuliano Amato and Sports Minister Giovanna Melandri to discuss new measures to stop soccer violence.
In October 2005, the previous centre-right government approved a law based on certain measures from British legislation, which curbed hooliganism in the 1980s.
The law stiffened punishments for those found guilty of causing crowd trouble, forced known thugs to report to police stations on match days, lengthened bans on violent supporters for up to two years and, for the first time, extended these and other existing measures to international games.
But Amato made clear he would no longer risk policemen's lives unless drastic new measures were adopted to reverse the situation.
"Every week youngsters and policemen risk their lives in this sort of absurd and irresponsible violence. This is enough: violence can happen anywhere but it is totally unjustifiable when it is linked to soccer.
"The decision to stop the matches was absolutely right and when play does resume, my men must no longer risk their lives as they have in the past," Amato told state-run RAI television.
Premier Romano Prodi told reporters that the latest violence signalled the need for a radical change.
"The country has to realise that also in sports - perhaps in this age, especially in sporting activity - we can express the civility, maturity and seriousness of our country.
"We need to remedy the situation and ensure that clubs too shoulder their responsibilities. Radical change is needed. We can no longer go on like this," he said.
The head of the Italian Soccer Players Association Sergio Campana said soccer matches should be suspended for at least a year.
"I think that in view of the situation soccer matches should be called off for year to see if this culture can be eradicated".
Pancalli's decision to suspend the matches for an indefinite period on Saturday won the backing of Michel Platini, the newly-elected head of European soccer's governing body UEFA.
