Italy Calls Off Soccer After Fan’s Murder
In an unprecedented move, Italian sports leaders, acting after a fan was stabbed to death outside a soccer stadium in Genoa on Sunday, have called off all domestic sports events scheduled for this weekend, including all soccer matches.
The presidents of the Italian soccer federation and Olympic committee made their decision Monday after the murder of Vincenzo Spagnolo, a 25-year-old Genoa fan.
Police on Monday arrested Simone Barbaglia, 19, an apprentice gardener from Milan’s outskirts, and charged him with Spagnolo’s murder.
International sports events, such as Davis Cup tennis matches in Naples against the Czech Republic, will be held as scheduled beginning Friday.
The scheduled soccer matches will be played at another date.
*
Brazilian striker Romario, who led his country to victory in the 1994 World Cup, was named World Player of the Year in a vote of national team coaches worldwide conducted by FIFA, world soccer’s governing body.
Pro Football
The state Senate Rules Committee voted, 5-0, to approve a measure urging NFL owners to reject the transfer of the Rams to St. Louis.
If adopted by both houses, the advisory resolution would express the Legislature’s opposition to the move, which is considered all but a done deal. The transfer is subject to league approval.
Minnesota Viking Coach Dennis Green’s job is secure despite sexual harassment allegations against him and an assistant coach.
Team President Roger Headrick told ESPN that Green’s job is not in jeopardy following media reports of the allegations, which Headrick said contained many inaccuracies.
The Minneapolis Star Tribune and St. Paul Pioneer Press reported that Green and assistant Richard Solomon were named in a 1993 affidavit recently made public by a fired Viking employee. The Star Tribune reported that the Vikings paid $150,000 to settle a sexual harassment claim involving Solomon.
FBI agents have arrested a former NFL Players Assn. researcher on a charge of embezzling more than $50,000 of union funds. John Walker Jr., fired by the union last week, was arrested around kickoff time of the Super Bowl, special agent Daniel Bradley said. The timing was coincidental, he said.
Massachusetts Gov. William Weld said he will propose an aid package within the next month to help the financially ailing New England Patriots.
Weld’s remarks come in the wake of complaints from Patriot owner Robert Kraft that stateofficials have reneged on financial promises they made when he bought the team a yearago.
Miscellany
The Pittsburgh Penguins recalled goaltender Philippe DeRouville from their Cleveland (IHL) farm club.
U.S. speedskater Bonnie Blair was among six athletes selected for the Amateur Athletic Foundation’s 1994 World Trophy. Other winners are William Sigei of Kenya in track and field, Kenji Ogiwara of Japan in Nordic combined, Johann Olav Koss of Norway in speedskating, Samantha Riley of Australia in swimming and Romario of Brazil in soccer.
Dennis Conner’s Stars & Stripes won by default in its first showing in the second round of America’s Cup racing after Young America quit midway through the race after suffering equipment failure.
The Hartford Hellcats of the Continental Basketball Assn. folded with an 11-22 record.
Melchor Cob Castro (43-4-4, 18 knockouts) of Mexico outpointed Miguel Martinez (29-8-1, 23 KOs) of Los Angeles in a 12-round unanimous decision in the final of the Forum light flyweight tournament.
Names in the News
Tom Bender, 70, former play-by-play announcer for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Pitt and Penn State, died at his Fort Myers, Fla., home. . . . David Ozio and Walter Ray Williams Jr. were elected into the Professional Bowlers Assn. Hall of Fame.
