Italian football bans players from wearing the No 88 shirt

Italian football has moved to ban players from wearing the No 88 shirt because of its links to Adolf Hitler in a clampdown on anti-Semitism.

The number has been used by neo-Nazi groups to symbolise the slogan ‘Heil Hitler’ with the letter ‘H’ being the eighth number of the alphabet.

In March, a fan was seen wearing a Lazio shirt with the name ‘Hitlerson’ and the No 88 on the back. That supporter and two others who performed ‘Roman salutes’ associated with fascism were banned from attending any games at the Stadio Olimpico in the future.

Gianluigi Buffon is the highest profile player to wear the No 88 shirt in the past during his time at Parma, though he changed numbers after he admitted he ‘didn’t know the hidden meaning’ of 88.

Members of Italy’s government and Italian Football Association (FIGC) president Gabriele Gravina signed an agreement on Tuesday to ban players from wearing the number.

The initiative also calls for games to be suspended in case of anti-Semitic chants or acts – similar to the way cases of racism are supposed to be handled.

Italy’s Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said the moves are ‘an adequate and efficient response to intolerable prejudice that too often arises in our stadiums.’