A Lazio soccer fan was killed yesterday during a clash with Juventus team supporters at a highway rest stop, and authorities are reportedly investigating whether the victim might have been killed by a stray police warning shot.

TV reports said the victim was a 26-year-old disc jockey from Rome who was a Lazio fan. He had reportedly been headed to Lazio's match in Milan against Inter Milan before becoming involved in a clash with Juventus supporters.

The Italian soccer federation announced that the game will be postponed to a date to be determined. Yesterday's other games started 10 minutes late and players and referees wore black armbands.

The Italian news agency ANSA said a police officer apparently used a pistol to fire a warning shot in the air to break up the clash beside the A1 highway near Arezzo in Tuscany. TV news reports said investigations were under way over whether the shot might have killed the fan.

Sky TG24 TV quoted witnesses as saying the Juventus fans were traveling in two vans from Naples on their way to Parma for the Juventus-Parma match.

A rest stop employee was quoted as saying he was getting out of his car in the parking lot when he saw a policeman and heard a shot, but couldn't see what happened.

Clashes between rival fans at rest stops are common in Italy.

Premier Romano Prodi was attending Mass when he was informed by Italy's interior minister about the death. He later described the fan violence as "very worrisome".

The death prompted clashes between ultra fans and police in Bergamo, where AC Milan was due to play Atalanta.

Last season, a policeman was killed in riots following a game between Palermo and Catania in Sicily. Under new anti-violence measures this season, some fans have been barred from traveling to games.

(China Daily via Agencies November 12, 2007)