(ANSA) - Hundreds of fans of Sicilian soccer club Messina upset ferry services to the mainland on Tuesday as they protested against their team's exclusion from Serie A.
About 500 fans assembled at Messina's port, blocking the departure of car ferries to Calabria on the toe of the Italian boot. Heavy queues of traffic built up on each side of the Messina Straits as motorists were forced to wait.
The demonstration was timed to coincide with a hearing at Lazio's regional administrative court, which much decide on Messina's exclusion from top flight soccer. Messina is looking to the court to overturn the Italian Soccer Federation's (FIGC) decision to relegate it because of financial problems.
Messina, along with Torino, were both rejected for not having paid tax bills. Messina, which finished seventh in the top-flight last season, appears to have a slightly better chance of winning its appeal.
The Sicilian outfit argues it had reached an agreement with the inland revenue over payment of outstanding taxes and is only guilty of presenting the documentation to FIGC a little late.
Whatever the Lazio TAR rules, the dispute looks certain to run until next week, as the losing party - whether it be FIGC or the clubs - is likely to appeal to the Council of State, which has the final word.
