Italy's government announced new security measures for soccer stadiums yesterday, raising hopes that matches could resume this weekend, as the nation mourned the death of a policeman killed by rioting fans.
Interior minister Giuliano Amato said stadiums which do not meet safety regulations will have to hold matches behind without spectators.
The block sale of tickets to away fans would also be stopped, and police given the power to make arrests without a warrant for football violence offences up to 48 hours after the crime.
Amato added that the existing system of stadium bans for those found guilty of violence at matches would be beefed up to include under-18s.
The commissioner of the Italian Football Federation, Luca Pancalli, said a decision about when to restart play would be made by Thursday after a meeting of the Italian cabinet to approve the new measures tomorrow.
"Technically, there is time to restart the championship this weekend," Pancalli said. "I'm optimistic that everyone involved in football will have the maturity to accept the new regulations and will collaborate to redraw the future of Italian football. I believe that today we can open a new chapter."
Not all of Italy's Serie A stadiums meet current security regulations. Luigi Scotti, undersecretary at the Justice Ministry, told a news conference only five were in line with regulations - though that number could rise to 10 if away fans were banned.
The industry is worried that officials could decide to prolong a costly suspension imposed last Friday on a sport that, beyond being a national obsession, rakes in an estimated 6 billion a year.
Antonio Matarrese, who represents the financial interests of the teams as president of the football league, said hooliganism was largely a police matter and matches should be resumed.
"We are pained, but the show must go on," he said. "Soccer must never shut down."
Speaking about the death of 38-year-old policeman Filippo Raciti, Matarrese said: "Deaths in the soccer system unfortunately are part of this enormous (hooligan) movement that the police have not been yet able to control."
His comments, on the day of Raciti's funeral in Catania, drew sharp criticism from the country's Sports Minister Giovanna Melandri, who called them "beyond comment". Prime Minister Romano Prodi also attacked Matarrese's position as "unacceptable".
The Catholic funeral service for Raciti was broadcast live on national television in Italy.
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