Solidarity – Lazio supports the assaulted referee: “Hello Diego, we are by your side.”

Referee Assaulted – Lazio Condemns Violence Again. Players, including Zaccagni, send a message on social media expressing their solidarity with the referee.

Diego Alfonzetti, a 19-year-old referee, was brutally assaulted, punched, and kicked during a match in the Sicilian Under 17 playoff between Russo Sebastiano Calcio Riposto and Pedara, held at the Luigi Averna stadium in Torre Archirafi, near Catania.

The young referee suffered physical violence and had to seek medical attention. The match was supposed to be played behind closed doors due to safety issues, but spectators invaded the pitch and attacked the referee. A group consisting of players and others surrounded the referee, hitting him violently. A team assistant even struck him on the back of the head with the flag.

“Hello Diego, we are here on camp in Norway for tomorrow’s match. We players, the staff, and the entire club are by your side. Violence must never exist,” said Zaccagni, Lazio’s captain.

Baroni and Gila: “We are with you”

In a video, both Baroni and Gila spoke. The coach said: “Please don’t give up and come back to the field soon. That will be the best response to those who committed this shameful act, which all of Italy has witnessed with dismay.” Mario Gila also added: “Come on, Diego, Lazio is with you, as is the entire refereeing world, a precious and fundamental component of the football movement.”

The Video of the Attack: “A Manhunt”

A video circulating on social media shows the referee trying to defend himself while being attacked. Only the intervention of a man, presumably a parent, prevented the situation from worsening, dragging the young referee away from the pitch. The carabinieri, who arrived immediately after the assault, acquired the footage to identify the culprits. Investigations are ongoing to reconstruct the events and identify all those responsible for the attack.

The referee was treated at the hospital for his injuries, but has not yet filed a formal complaint, a necessary step to initiate an investigation in cases of non-serious injuries.

Gabriella di Girolamo Questions the Minister of Sports

The media attention surrounding the case has even reached Parliament, causing shock and disapproval. Senatrice Gabriella Di Girolamo (M5S) condemned the incident and also called for preventive actions against violence on the field and to ensure greater security.

“It is unacceptable, and it is also a wake-up call about the return of violence in provincial sports fields,” said the senator, focusing her attention on the Minister of Sports. She has already sent a parliamentary inquiry to the government, asking for a change of approach on this issue.

“If a sports event, even a youth one, is formally closed to the public, the orders must be enforced,” she continued. “It’s time to implement specific actions to ensure everyone’s safety, starting with referees, and to prevent episodes of shameful and vulgar violence that have nothing to do with sport.”

Article by Rebecca Olivieri.