Italy Bans Soccer Jersey Number Due to Antisemitic Connotation

The change comes as part of a new initiative aiming to combat antisemitism.

No. 88 will be prohibited for use among soccer players in Italy due to a new initiative aimed at combatting antisemitism. 

The rule, which was coordinated by the Italian government and the Italian soccer federation, was announced Tuesday and includes the addition of a code of ethics in accordance with the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, according to the Associated Press. Additionally, in the case of fans singing antisemitic chants, the initiative calls for games to be suspended.

No. 88 has been used by extremist groups as a numerical code for “Heil Hitler.”

As recently as March, a fan of S.S. Lazio received a lifetime ban from attending matches after he was seen donning a No. 88 kit with the name “Hitlerson” on the back. 

“Soccer’s credibility, which gets hurt and damaged by discriminatory behavior, has a direct reflection on Italian society,” Italian soccer federation president Gabriele Gravina said. 

There are currently two players in Italy’s top league, Serie A, who wear No. 88, Lazio’s Toma Bašić and Atalanta’s Mario Pašalić.