A declaration of intent for the fight against anti-Semitism in football was signed today at the Italian Home Office. The agreement between the Home Secretary Matteo Piantedosi, the Minister for Sport and Youth Affairs Andrea Abodi, the National Coordinator for the fight against anti-Semitism Giuseppe Pecoraro and the FIGC President Gabriele Gravina - for the Federation, the General Secretary Marco Brunelli was present today, given simultaneous UEFA commitments for the President - aims to strengthen the actions to counter the phenomenon, intervening with initiatives that involve the institutions, members and fans.

In the document, alongside awareness-raising and communication activities on the issue of anti-Semitism - organisation of visits to the Memoriale della Shoah and other 'places of remembrance' for members and supporters, collaboration with the media and social networks - concrete actions are planned, including the inclusion of an explicit reference to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism in the clubs' code of ethics, the commitment not to give players the jersey with the number '88', the interruption of the match in the event of anti-Semitic chants, acts and expressions, and the strict observance of the nominal allocation of seats in the stadiums.

"It is the completion of an objective that we set ourselves a few weeks ago and which, besides its obvious symbolic value, also has great concreteness," stressed the Ministry of the Interior, Matteo Piantedosi. "It is the continuation of a virtuous path that we have undertaken, also at the urging of the sports world itself. It is an adequate and effective response to an intolerable prejudice that still too often manifests itself in our stadiums. Anti-Semitism must be strongly fought, together with everything that excludes, despises and discriminates against every human being, every social group, every minority. The declaration of intent signed today is only the first step of a broader strategy that will result in a new document on preventing and combating all forms of racism and discrimination in sport".

"Today's signing of the "Declaration of Intent for the fight against anti-Semitism in football" is a further step forward that materialises the commitments made by our government on the issue of combating discrimination in sport, defining the line of action strongly desired by all the signatories" the words of the Minister for Sport and Youth, Andrea Abodi. "Sport is a social and individual immune defence and as such must be strengthened also from the educational and training point of view, affirming with concreteness and pragmatism the supremacy of Respect, in all its forms. With this protocol we relaunch the commitment against anti-Semitism in football, which we will extend to all other sporting disciplines and to the various forms of discrimination, through thirteen points that constitute the architecture of the actions that we will implement in collaboration with all stakeholders, including fans, starting from prevention and giving greater concreteness to the fight against discriminatory behaviour and language. We hope, therefore, for a further and widespread assumption of responsibility, systemic and systematic, consistent with the values of sport that must be promoted, protected and interpreted, consistently."

"With today's signing of the declaration of intent, an important result in the fight against anti-Semitism has been achieved,' explained the National Coordinator for the fight against anti-Semitism, Giuseppe Pecoraro. "A result that can be even more effective and relevant thanks to the application that will be given by the Federation and the Leagues and if the sports clubs fully share its spirit".

"The world of football is united in the fight against anti-Semitism and all forms of discrimination," said FIGC president Gabriele Gravina. "With this declaration of intent we reiterate, once again, how our sport must be increasingly inclusive and, at the same time, an extraordinary vehicle for positive messages. Thanks to its deepest values and its exceptional communicative power, football offers itself as an instrument of civic awareness to educate to welcome and respect. On these issues we do not back down an inch, because the credibility of football, which has also been wounded and damaged by discriminatory behaviour, has a direct reflection on Italian society".