It is a Nazi symbol, the number 88 is banned on jerseys in Italy
Two government decisions, which are directly related to football. The Italian government approved measures that do not allow the use of the number 88 on jerseys from the new season, as well as the suspension of matches for anti-Semitic chants.
The law was signed by the Italian interior minister, Matteo Piantedosi, and is included in measures to combat anti-Semitism, signed on 27 August.
Starting next season, Atalanta’s Mario Pasalic and Lazio’s Toma Basic must change the numbers on their backs. 88 is used by neo-Nazi groups as a sign of respect for Adolf Hitler. The letter H is the eighth in the German alphabet, the 88th translates to two H’s, which then translates to the Nazi salute.
In the past this number was held by Gianluigi Buffon at Parma. The legendary goalkeeper changed it after only a few friendly matches, precisely to avoid any hypothetical connection with extremist groups. Controversies were not absent at that time, where Mateusz Praszelik, Marco Borriello and Rincon were among the accused.
In addition to banning the number 88, in the Italian Serie A the law of stopping matches also comes into force if anti-Semitic chants are made in the stands. Fans are prohibited from using symbols reminiscent of Nazism, and must not use discriminatory language.
