No. 88 will be prohibited for use among soccer players in Italy due to a new initiative aimed at combatting antisemitism.
The rule, which was coordinated by the Italian government and the Italian soccer federation, was announced Tuesday and includes the addition of a code of ethics in accordance with the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, according to the Associated Press. Additionally, in the case of fans singing antisemitic chants, the initiative calls for games to be suspended.
No. 88 has been used by extremist groups as a numerical code for “Heil Hitler.”
