Juventus has been fined €10,000 by the Italian Football Federation after a section of supporters disrupted a minute of silence honoring Sandro Mazzola. The sanction was announced on September 22 following incidents during Sunday's Serie A match against Atalanta at Allianz Stadium in Turin, which Juventus won 2-0.
The minute of silence was organized prior to kickoff across all matchday five fixtures in Italy's top division to pay tribute to former Inter Milan and Italy star Sandro Mazzola, who died on Saturday at the age of 83.
Disciplinary sanction by football authorities
The Italian Football Federation confirmed the €10,000 fine in an official statement, noting that a small percentage of Juventus supporters gathered in the South Stand clearly failed to respect the minute of silence mandated by the governing body.
Disciplinary regulations allowed for penalties of up to €50,000 or a requirement to play future matches behind closed doors. However, the federation clarified that the sanction was mitigated due to the prompt official stance taken by Juventus condemning the deplorable behavior, along with the fact that the rest of the stadium crowd distanced themselves from the disruptive fans.
South Stand supporter conduct
During the pre-match tribute at Allianz Stadium, a portion of home supporters in the South Stand turned their backs to the pitch and sang chants. Sandro Mazzola spent his entire professional playing career at Inter Milan, a club long considered a primary rival by Juventus ultra groups.
Juventus, based in Turin, is Italy's most successful domestic football club, holding a long-standing rivalry with Milan-based Inter Milan. Matches between the two sides are traditionally intense, but football authorities expected all supporters to observe the nationwide tribute.
Official response from Juventus
Before the conclusion of the match against Atalanta, Juventus issued a formal press release expressing strong disapproval of the fans involved. The club stated that no football rivalry justifies a lack of respect during a minute of silence.
Juventus added that honoring memory and coming together during moments of remembrance represents a collective responsibility that transcends rivalries and team colors.
Condemnation from former players
The behavior of the supporters drew sharp criticism from prominent figures in Italian football, including former Juventus international Marco Tardelli. Commenting on the incident, Tardelli described the actions of the fans as one of the darkest moments in recent memory.
Marco Tardelli, who previously won multiple domestic and international honors with Juventus and the Italy national team, joined club officials in condemning the lack of respect shown during the memorial tribute.
