A few days ago, this newspaper wrote about what it said was the ugly side of sport. We made reference to bribery and doping scandals that have hit various sport disciplines over the past years and have dented the credibility of what is, after all, a highly-popular means of entertainment for all the family.

That time, we did not mention another ugly side of sport – violence – as the intention was to highlight the negative effects that bribery and doping scandals, in which athletes and officials are involved, have on the millions of people who follow sport.

But we did not have to wait long to write about violence in sport. And, once again, the news comes from Italy.

Last Sunday, two Serie A league matches were postponed and another one was abandoned after a Lazio supporter was accidentally killed while on his way to watch his favourite team play against Inter. The shot was fired by a police officer while trying to control a clash between Lazio and Juventus supporters at a highway rest stop in Tuscany.

Reports as to what actually happened at times contradicted each other, but the accident sparked protests from several groups of supporters, leading to the postponement of two games and the suspension of another that had started. Later in the evening, there was fan trouble in a number of cities, including Rome and Milan.

Sunday’s incidents are the worst since last February, when a police officer was killed in fights that broke out after the Catania-Palermo derby in Sicily. That time, a number of measures were taken to improve security in and outside stadiums but, following what happened on Sunday, it seems that we are back to square one.

Fingers are being pointed against everyone, and it must be said that all those involved have to carry part of the blame. What actually happened on the motorway? Did the media add fuel to the flames in the way the accident was reported? Should all matches have been postponed as had happened in February?

These are the questions that need to be asked, and unfortunately Italy is getting the chance of answering questions on the link between sport and violence too often. The problem is that these questions are not being answered or, if they are, not enough is being done to implement decisions that are taken.

The incident on the highway in Tuscany is condemnable, but what is also condemnable is the way that certain factions of supporters reacted to it. Tragic as the death of a 26-year-old was, it should not have led to the incidents that took place in so many cities.

Again, it was a matter of a few hotheads – not real supporters – taking over. The great majority of people who go to stadiums every week do so to enjoy themselves and support their favourite team. For others, football is just the means through which they can vent their anger against society in general.

Football should not be used as a tool for violence. And Italy – the government and the organisations running the game – must work together to come up with stiff measures to curb this ugly phenomenon. Other countries have had to contend with violent factions of supporters in the past, but with goodwill, determination and hard work, they managed to bring the situation under control.

The wife of Inspector Filippo Raciti, who died last February in the disturbances following the Catania-Palermo match in February, was reported to have told journalists that the death of her husband had been in vain.

Let us hope that the death of the Lazio fan, Gabriele Sandri, will not be likewise.