Italy: a workshop against violence at sporting events

A violence prevention workshop is to be opened in Tuscany. It will function as a sports values education centre and will identify and experiment good practices to be used at stadiums across the nation. The project was presented by the deputy minister of the ?Regione Toscana? (Tuscany?s local government) Federico Gelli and Florence?s police commissioner Francesco Tagliente. “The aim of this project? explained Mr. Gelli ? is to create a common work area that brings together the experiences and skills of those involved and interested in the sporting world, which is an important cultural and social phenomenon in our country. I am convinced that Coverciano will enable Tuscany to become an exemplary good practices workshop for the national territory .? ?We have all the right cards for being successful – Federico Gelli went on to say ? to start with we have learned from our experiences in many fields over the course of the last years, particularly at the level of youth sports; we have also achieved good results in bettering the communication between and coordination of the different forces in charge of safety and order. Four Tuscan football teams play in the premier league – more than any other region ? and the sporting vitality of our region is further demonstrated by our strength in several other sports. This is not to say that there are no problematic issues, such as those that come with the many derbys, that offer opportunities for healthy competition but also potential conflict.? The first step of this project is to take part in the Ussi Convention organised by the Regione Toscana for the 29th of February at the technical centre in Coverciamo. It will be an important event as is highlighted by the fact that the president of the national football team, Roberto Donadoni, will attend as well as other premier league representatives.