Italian fans told to stay at home

The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) will no longer sanction the purchase of tickets for away fixtures after violence in Bulgaria on Saturday.

Three fans were arrested for burning a Bulgarian flag while Italian hooligans provoked trouble in Sofia.

FIGC president Giancarlo Abete told Rai Radio: "We will stop asking for tickets for our fans for away matches.

"(This will last) as long as we don't have any guarantees or ways of verifying who buys the tickets."

Italy's next away fixtures takes place in Montenegro in March.

And Abete added: "We'll stop asking for tickets but we must remain vigilant because for the match in Cyprus in September we didn't ask for any tickets and yet some supporters still found a way."

Saturday's match finished goalless and Italy have now won two drawn the other of their three World Cup qualifiers.

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