You Want A Pisa Me?

After a 1-0 loss to Brescia over the weekend, Pisa were relegated to the Italian third division. Serie C? No, it's something called the Lego Lega Pro Prima Divisione.

This being Italy, of course Pisa supporters took the loss and subsequent demotion with the usual blasé attitude. From a poorly Google-translated piece in Il Messaggero:

Sale also the budget of the wounded are 35 police officers forced the medical care after the launch of dense rocks, road signs and objects from the Nerazzurri ultrà. The police officers and carabinieri were struck while trying to prevent the entry to the dressing room after fans angry pisan for relegation.

The Italian papers stay pretty narrow in scope of their reporting, but about 200 Pisa supporters had tried to smash down the doors to the locker room after the loss. Apparently they were under the mistaken notion that if they beat the players senseless they would no longer be relegated.

Italy, where genius happens.

Thirty five police officers were wounded in the melee. And there was a total of nine rioters arrested, three from yesterday and an additional six were picked up today with the assistance of stadium security camera footage.

This has carried over to the national team in that the local Ultras have issued a comminque saying they are so sad they do not want to Azzurri to come to Pisa to play their scheduled friendly against Northern Ireland this Saturday.

Shouldn't this work the other way? If you're a Nerazzurri Ultra you've already established that favoured teams that don't win risk grievous bodily harm, can't think of a time to ever see a more motivated national squad come to town.

Italy, where geniu... Oh, we already said that.