Ahead of Italy’s football world cup qualifier against Israel, the Italian Football Coaches Association (AIAC) are calling for Isreal to be suspended. In a letter written to the Italian football federation, and forwarded to world football governing bodies FIFA and UEFA, the coaches expressed that:
Israel must stop. Football must also take action.
AIAC president Renzo Ulivieri said:
this must not be just a symbolic gesture, but a necessary choice, which responds to a moral imperative, shared by the entire directorial board.
And, AIAC’s vice president Giancarlo Camolese said:
People might want us to just shut up and play, turn to look the other way, but we don’t believe that is right.
Italian coaches call to suspend Israel from all competitions
In the letter, AIAC wrote:
The AIAC Board of Directors unanimously believes that, given the daily massacres, which have also resulted in hundreds of deaths among managers, coaches, and athletes … it is legitimate, necessary, indeed a duty, to place at the centre of federation talks the request, to be submitted to UEFA and FIFA, for the temporary exclusion of Israel from sporting competitions because the pain of the past cannot cloud anyone’s conscience and humanity.
The letter made it clear that football cannot be divorced from politics:
Can a football match, preceded by the national anthems, be considered only a football match? Can what is happening in the Gaza Strip, with heavy reverberations in the West Bank and Lebanon, simply be counted as one of the 56 active conflicts in the world?
They continued:
Can the Hamas terrorist massacre on October 7, 2023, with over a thousand innocent Israeli victims plus the taking of 250 hostages, justify Israel’s ferocious genocidal retaliation, which has claimed tens of thousands of Palestinian civilian deaths?
The letter also refers to Israel’s murder of legendary Palestinian footballer Suleiman al-Obaid. Al-Obaid was killed whilst waiting for aid. However, the footballing world has largely remained silent over his death.
The letter from AIAC concluded:
The world is in flames. Many people like the Palestinians are suffering. Indifference is unacceptable.
And, UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese stood in support of the letter:
This is the Italy I belong too, respect and love: the one that choses with its conscience and values, not with its fat wallet and ideologized brain.
In the name of the rule-of-law and humanity, all the way. https://t.co/YccLxT4XUY— Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur oPt (@FranceskAlbs) August 20, 2025
Protests across Italy over Israel
Italy are due to play Israel twice during the course of the qualifiers, once in Italy, and once in Hungary. The latter country has been selected as a ‘neutral’ location. And, when the two teams met during a Nations League match in 2024 in Hungary, a number of protests ensued. A group of fans, wearing all black, turned their back on the pitch, and held up a number of banners in support of Palestine.
AIAC’s letter comes just days after thousands of Italians assembled outside the Pantheon temple to call for an end to Israel’s genocide. One protester told Press TV:
The lands occupied by Israel belong to Palestinians, and they will be returned to them. Those who will be living there, either they’re Muslims, Christians or Jews, will be Palestinian people.
We know full well. Italy is a colony of the US Empire, and for this reason, is subjugated to the Zionist regime.
Another protester, Antonella Moschillo, said:
I don’t know exactly why the Italian government doesn’t uphold international norms when it comes to Israel. It would be interesting asking this question to [sic] our politicians directly. It is quite appalling.
And, dockworkers in Genoa, Italy have sent out a fierce message to both Israel and Europe. As the Sumud flotilla sets out with supplies for Palestinians, the Autonomous Collective of Dockworkers said:
If we lose contact with our boats even for just 20 minutes, we will block all of Europe. From the Port of Genoa nothing will leave anymore.
Choice for footballing world
As Israel continue their remorseless genocide against Palestine, more and more sections of society are doing what political leaders have refused to do: putting their actions in solidarity with Palestine.
The footballing world has been amongst the most reticent to act. However, whilst footballing officials and many players have been silent, fans have been less so. Campaign group Show Israeli Genocide the Red Card shared AIAC’s letter and urged people to sign a petition to throw Israel out of football.
As ever, it’s people in the positions of least power – fans, dockworkers, protesters – who are forcing institutions to act with basic moral decency.
Featured image via the Canary
This post was originally published on Canary.