Game descends into farce as flares thrown and fans attack players before penalty

A Serie C match descended into chaos with flares thrown onto the pitch with fans attacking an opposition player.

During Foggia’s match with Catanzaro at the Stadio Pino Zaccheria, ugly scenes erupted as ultras came storming onto the pitch. In the game that ended 6-2 to the away side, violence and pitch invasions broke out. At the crux of it all, striker Pietro Iemmello was about to make it 6-1 when a man entered the field and started to attack him. Stewards managed to apprehend the suspect but Iemmello was immediately substituted out of fear of being attacked again. Also at one point flares were chucked on the field, stopping play.

Iemmello is a former player of Foggia and it’s thought the assault was to do with his move to a rival club. After Foggia's second and last goal, another pitch invasion occurred. Once again the referee was forced to suspend the game again to try and restore order.

After the game, the president of Foggia, Nicola Canonico, said. "I apologise to the Foggia fans for the bad match. But I also apologise to all the Italian fans for what happened on the pitch. I am indignant.

The Prosecutor of Foggia is considering whether to open an investigation into the riots that took place on Monday night. Police are in the midst of identifying some fans who took part. Meanwhile, Giulia Elettra Gorietti, partner of Iemmello, wrote on social media: "For me, it is the failure of values. Yesterday my daughter watched her father play and had to attend a show that had everything but sport."

Do you think Foggia should be banned from having supporters at games? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

The Lega Pro condemned the actions of those involved: "In reference to the very serious attack suffered yesterday by the Catanzaro player Pietro Iemmello, the Lega Pro firmly condemns the cowardly act of violence he suffered at the hands of some criminals present at the stadium who has nothing to do with real fans.

“Lega Pro expresses total solidarity and full support for Iemmello and the Giallorossi club. These are events that do not reconcile with sport and with the principles that animate Serie C and which, on the contrary, cause very serious damage to the image of all football.

"The Lega Pro, in full compliance with the work of the police, hopes that the competent authorities will immediately shed light on this reprehensible event of unprecedented violence and urges the most firm measures against the guilty."

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