Napoli stormed into the Italian Cup’s Round of 16 with a resounding 5-0 victory over Palermo, but the match was marred by a series of violent incidents involving fans.
Cyril Ngonge was the star of the show for Napoli, scoring two goals early in the game to set the tone for a dominant performance. Juan Jesus added a third goal just before half-time, effectively putting the match out of reach for Palermo. The visitors’ night went from bad to worse when Aljosa Vasic received a straight red card in the 58th minute for a dangerous challenge on Billy Gilmour.
David Neres then put Napoli in cruise control, scoring their fourth goal with a well-taken finish in the 70th minute. Scott McTominay, making his debut for Napoli, completed the rout with a goal just seconds after entering the match.
While Napoli’s performance on the field was impressive, the match was overshadowed by the behavior of fans from both sides. The game was interrupted by flares and firecrackers thrown between rival supporters during half-time, leading to a seven-minute delay. This incident follows a string of fan violence in Italian football, with clashes between Genoa and Sampdoria fans resulting in 26 police officers injured earlier in the week. Napoli fans were also involved in altercations with Cagliari fans in Sardinia earlier this month.
The recent string of incidents has sparked concern about fan behavior in Italian football. The Italian media are reporting that Genoa and Sampdoria may be forced to play their next two home matches behind closed doors as a result of the violence. It remains to be seen what action will be taken against the clubs involved, but the incidents underscore the growing problem of fan violence in the sport.
