Italian interior minister Giuliano Amato vowed today to resist what he said was pressure from football clubs and to ensure safety in and outside stadiums, days after a police officer died in rioting at a top match in Sicily.

Thousands of mourners flocked to a cathedral in the Sicilian city of Catania today for the funeral of a policeman whose death in a football riot has shocked Italy and prompted calls for new measures to curb stadium violence.

The economic value of football in Italy industry will be in the minds of politicians and sports administrators when they meet on Monday to discuss long-term measures to curb fan violence at Italian soccer games.