Italian coaches demand FIFA, UEFA suspend 'Israel' from football
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Italy’s coaches’ association urges FIFA and UEFA to suspend "Israel" over the ongoing genocide in Gaza and the killings of Palestinian athletes.
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Iraq supporters wave the Palestinian flag during the 2026 FIFA World Cup AFC qualifiers football match between Iraq and Indonesia at the Basra International Stadium, in Basra, Iraq, Thursday, November 16, 2023 (AP)
The Italian Coaches’ Association (AIAC) has formally called on FIFA and UEFA to suspend "Israel" from international football tournaments, citing moral responsibility amid the ongoing genocidal war in Gaza.
In a letter addressed to Italian Football Federation (FIGC) president Gabriele Gravina, AIAC president Renzo Ulivieri said the decision was unanimous among the association’s national board and described it as a “necessary choice” driven by a “moral imperative.”
“The values of humanity, which underpin those of sport, compel us to oppose acts of oppression with terrible consequences,” Ulivieri wrote, urging FIFA and UEFA to act against "Israel."
Growing criticism of football’s silence
The move comes as FIFA and UEFA face mounting criticism for refusing to suspend the Israeli regime despite global outrage over its war on Gaza. Critics have highlighted the precedent set by Russia’s exclusion from international competitions following the war in Ukraine.
Giancarlo Camolese, AIAC vice president, reinforced the call, stating: “People might want us to just shut up and play, turn to look the other way, but we don’t believe that is right.”
The last match between the Israeli occupation's team and Italy's in Udine in October 2024 was marked by protests and heightened security. Since then, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has deepened.
Targeting of Palestinian athletes
The killing of Suleiman al-Obeid, widely known as the “Palestinian Pelé,” while waiting for aid in southern Gaza drew international outrage, with Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah publicly questioning FIFA and UEFA’s silence over the targeting of Palestinian athletes.
According to the Palestinian Football Association, more than 810 athletes have been killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023, including over 40 in July alone. Many of them were young footballers.
Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, voiced support for the Italian coaches’ stance, praising it as an act of conscience over profit.
“This is the Italy I belong to, respect and love: the one that chooses with its conscience and values, not with its fat wallet and ideologised brain,” Albanese wrote on X.
A star is killed by 'Israel'
Born in Gaza City, al-Obeid was married with five children and represented Palestine in 24 international matches. He was a prominent figure in Palestinian football, known for inspiring young players in a region devastated by Israeli aggression.
Read next: Israeli crimes against Palestinian sports must be condemned: Euro-Med
The PFA said that since the start of the war on Gaza, 662 members of the sports and scouting community have been killed, including 321 from the football sector.
The 41-year-old ex-international, nicknamed the “Palestinian Pele,” was martyred in early August when Israeli forces “targeted people waiting for humanitarian aid in the southern Gaza Strip,” the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) said.
