The players and staff of FC Calcio Acri, of the Eccellenza Calabria regional league, were threatened at knife-point before eventually calling of their game with Guardavalle.
Arriving in the small Calabrian town of Guardavalle ahead of their game in Italy’s fifth-tier, the team were interrupted during lunch by five men who wielded knives – one of which was held to the throat of Acri player Rabihou Amadou.
According to an official club statement, the knife-holding men demanded that they lose that day’s match or face having their legs “split open,” in a raid that lasted 35-40 minutes where threats were made to the players regarding the match.
After the attackers left, the club travelled to the stadium under police watch.
However after arriving, a club member was beaten in the dressing room – taking punches and kicks to the neck and back by an unidentified person. It was at this point the visitors called off the match.
The club, known as the Lupi, have since recalled several threats made to their players in recent months in the regional league at the Southern tip of the Italian peninsula, and have thanked the police for their co-operation.
