No. 88 banned in Italian league to combat anti-Semitism
The Italian Football Federation (FIGC), the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Sports of the country have decided to ban footballers from playing under the 88th number. It is reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport.
The ban will come into force in the 2023/2024 season, it was adopted as part of the fight against anti-Semitism. “Our sport must be increasingly inclusive and at the same time an amazing vehicle for positive messages. On these issues, we do not retreat an inch,” said FIGC President Gabriele Gravina.
Last season, four players under the 88th number played in the Italian Serie A: Mario Pasalic, Toma Bašić, Tomas Rincon and Mateus Prashelik.
The number 88 has a symbolic meaning in the ultra-right environment. Under the two eights, the Nazi greeting Heil Hitler is encrypted: H is the eighth letter in the Latin alphabet.
Source: Lenta
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