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The Italian Football Coaches Association, AIAC, called on Wednesday for Israel to be suspended from international football competitions due to the war in the Gaza Strip.
Ahead of Italy's crucial World Cup qualifiers against Israel in the coming months, AIAC stressed that "Israel must stop. Football must also take action."
AIAC has sent an official letter to the Italian Football Federation – which will be forwarded to European and world football's governing bodies, UEFA and FIFA – demanding Israel's suspension.
“ The AIAC Board of Directors unanimously believes that, given the daily massacres, which have also caused hundreds of victims among managers, coaches and athletes … it is legitimate, necessary, even obligatory, to put at the center of the Federation’s discussions the demand that UEFA and FIFA temporarily exclude Israel from sports competitions ,” the letter states.
" Because the pain of the past cannot darken anyone's conscience or humanity ," the letter further states.
Italy is set to face Israel on neutral ground in Debrecen, Hungary, on September 8, before hosting them in the return leg in Udine on October 14.
" We could just focus on the game, looking the other way. But we believe that this is not right ," said AIAC vice-president Giancarlo Camolese.
Italy also played Israel in Udine last October in a Nations League match, which was accompanied by protests before and during the match and strict security measures, including snipers on the roof of the stadium.
Since then, the situation has continued to deteriorate in Gaza, and the number of Palestinians killed in the nearly two-year war surpassed 62,000 earlier this month.
" The world is on fire. Many Palestinians are suffering ," said AIAC vice president Francesco Perondi.
" Ignoring this is unacceptable ," he concluded./REL
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