Juventus’ home match against Atalanta has left an uncomfortable question beyond the result: how should a club respond when a section of its support turns a public tribute into an act of hostility? During the minute’s silence for Sandro Mazzola, who died two nights earlier, some members of the Curva Sud at the Allianz Stadium turned their backs on the pitch.
More than 40,000 people were inside the ground on Sunday, and much of the stadium applauded in memory of a figure who mattered deeply to Italian football. For Massimo Mauro, the former Juventus midfielder, the conduct of the supporters involved was indefensible, but any punishment must fall on those responsible rather than on the wider crowd or the club.
Juventus received a €10,000 fine after the incident. Mauro argued that the familiar logic of sanctioning thousands in order to discipline a smaller group is misplaced. In his view, closing a stand because around 200 ultras behaved in such a way would unfairly penalise supporters who did nothing wrong, while the club itself should not be drawn into the punishment.
Mauro spoke personally of Mazzola, recalling that, alongside Gianni Rivera, the former Inter captain had been one of his footballing reference points as a child. He later had the opportunity to know both men. Mazzola, he said, was important not only in his own life but in the broader history of the Italian game.
That is why he described the gesture during the tribute as disgraceful. Yet he maintained that the appropriate response is to identify the individuals concerned and deal with them directly, rather than imposing a collective measure such as shutting the Curva. He noted that the matter may not amount to a criminal offence, but Juventus have the means to assess conduct inside their stadium and can regard those involved as unwelcome supporters.
A rivalry that has outgrown the pitch
Mauro also placed the episode within the long-running animosity between Juventus and Inter, a rivalry he believes has become exhausting and distorted. He criticised the way even educated and prominent voices can become trapped in what he sees as something closer to foolishness than genuine sporting competition.
That atmosphere, he suggested, can eventually produce behaviour such as that seen during the tribute to Mazzola. The former midfielder stressed that many people in the Curva applauded, while the rest of the stadium also paid its respects. Those fans, he said, should not be made to answer for the actions of a minority.
Juventus, in his assessment, handled its own position properly by distancing itself from what happened and making clear that it did not share the stance taken by part of the stand. Mauro warned that severe institutional sanctions against a club may create an unhealthy precedent: a handful of people could deliberately harm their own side, leaving the club vulnerable to those seeking to exploit that power.
The responsibility, therefore, should remain with the supporters who chose to turn away. In a championship where old antagonisms are never far from the surface, Mauro’s argument is that the club, the majority of its public and the memory of Mazzola should not be held hostage by a gesture made by a few.
