The country’s football federation imposed the ban as part of a campaign to combat anti-Semitism.
Players playing in Italy will no longer be able to play under the number 88. And this applies not only to Serie A, but to all official competitions under the auspices of the Italian Football Federation. The latter introduced a similar ban, as reported on its official website.
A strange at first glance decision related to the campaign against anti-Semitism. The corresponding declaration was signed on June 27 by the Minister of the Interior of Italy, the head of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the coordinator for the fight against anti-Semitism and FIGC.
The number 88 in Italy has a specific meaning in the context of far-right ideologies. Historically, this number has been used in alternative fanbooks as a symbolic designation to honor the fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, who was an associate of Adolf Hitler.
Actually, the number 8 in the ideology of representatives of the far-right movement points to the Latin letter “H”, and two eights are used to denote the phrase “Heil Hitler”, which was used in Nazi Germany.
“The world of football is united in the fight against anti-Semitism and all forms of discrimination. Our sport must be more inclusive and at the same time an effective vehicle for delivering positive messages. In the deepest values and exceptional communication power, Football offers itself as a tool for civic consciousness to care and respect”, – commented on the change, FIGC President Gabriele Gravina.
Note that the number 88 was chosen for the performances of some famous players playing in the Italian championship.
In particular, these figures are printed on the kit of Croats Mario Pasalic from Atalanta and Toma Bašić from Lazio.
Recall that the former legendary Brazilian player Ronaldinho, who played in Italy as part of Milan, opened his own bookmaker’s office.
Source: korrespondent
I am William Jackson and I have a passion for sports journalism. With over 3 years of experience in the industry, I have worked in a variety of roles to improve the quality and accuracy of sports news coverage. As an author at Athletistic, I specialize in covering football news and providing comprehensive analysis for fans around the world.
