Italian clubs resist tough anti-hooligan plan

ROME, Feb 7 (Reuters) Italian football clubs were today resisting what they said were draconian measures to tackle hooliganism at stadiums after a policeman was killed during soccer riots last week.

All play was suspended after the death and Sports Minister Giovanna Melandri has said stadiums which do not immediately adopt the new measures should remain closed to fans.

Italy's cabinet was due to meet at 5 pm today (2130 hrs IST) to finalise the measures which have outraged some people in the soccer world. Critics accuse the government of a knee-jerk reaction to an isolated incident.

The president of twice Italian champions Napoli, Aurelio De Laurentiis, said a ''fascist climate'' had descended on the country since the policeman's death at a Serie A match between Catania and Palermo last Friday.

''The closed stadiums are a ridiculous idea. They can't impose these regulations on us. We must go on strike,'' he told Italian media.

Only four grounds in Serie A -- Rome's Olympic Stadium, Palermo's Barbera stadium, Turin's Olympic Stadium and the Artemio Franchi stadium in Siena -- meet the regulations.

The rest, including Milan's San Siro stadium -- home to AC Milan and Inter Milan -- risk remaining closed to spectators when play resumes at a date yet to be confirmed by the Italian Football Federation.

Clubs fear the financial consequences of having to reimburse season-ticket holders denied access to matches they have paid for and fans and players said the game needed the atmosphere of a live crowd.

''It would be an absurd solution. The sport would lose its meaning,'' said Milan captain Paolo Maldini on the idea of playing matches without the fans.

''It would be better to halt play for another week because playing behind closed doors would be the death of football,'' said the former Italy defender.

But Melandri said the government would not compromise with the clubs which have been allowed to delay modernisation of their old-fashioned venues to comply with security measures which were initially passed in 2005.

''We have four fixed demands: closed-circuit TV surveillance, named tickets, electronic turnstiles and crowd control outside the stadiums,'' Melandri told L'Unita daily.

''On these there will be no discussion. Either they are there at the stadium, or the match is played behind closed doors.'' The policy will hit Italy's lower divisions even harder than Serie A. Eight out of 11 matches in the next round of second-division Serie B matches are expected to be played behind closed doors if the government pushes the measures through.

REUTERS PDS HS1803