As a policeman was killed during a Serie A game between Catania and Palermo on Friday, Italy suspended the country's international and domestic soccer matches.

(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

The Italian soccer federation (FIGC) quickly declared that all the weekend's matches were suspended, then clarified that the suspension was indefinite and that it also applied to the national team.

A 38-year-old police officer died shortly after a rioter tossed an explosive into his car, outside the Serie A match in Catania, police said.

About 100 people were wounded, between officers and fans, in clashes led by hooded rioters who hurled fireworks and lashed out at police with metal bars. Police said they arrested nine people and had detained 23 others.

The bloodshed stunned the nation and the government called a high-level crisis meeting for Monday to hammer out emergency measures to halt the violence.

"We must send a clear message that we must stop the kind of degeneration of sport that unfortunately happens so often," Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi said in a statement.

Italy had been scheduled to welcome Romania for a friendly on Wednesday.

The world champions are due to host Scotland in a Euro 2008 qualifier on March 28. They are third in Group B two points behind the Scotland and France.

(Xinhua News Agency February 3, 2007)