- Young goalkeeper assaulted by rival’s parent
- Buffon condemn ‘barbaric’ violence
- Club withdraws youth team from tournament
A shocking act of violence marred youth football in Italy after a 13-year-old goalkeeper was reportedly brutally attacked by the father of an opponent during the Super Oscar youth tournament in Collegno, near Turin. The young player, representing GSD Volpiano Pianese, was left hospitalised with a fractured malleolus, a bruised cheekbone, and head trauma after being punched at the end of the match against CSF Carmagnola. Doctors have since discharged him, though the teenager will require psychological support as well as physical rehabilitation. His heartbreaking reaction summed up the horror as after the incident, he reportedly asked his father: “Dad, would you have hit one of my opponents like that guy did?”
The 40-year-old attacker was immediately reported to the Carabinieri for assault, sparking fury across the football world. Volpiano Pianese have since withdrawn their Under-14 team from the tournament in protest, calling the move “a painful choice” but necessary to preserve the wellbeing and values of their players.
Italy and Juventus legend Gianluigi Buffon, who has long been regarded as one of the great voices of the game, delivered a powerful and emotional response to the shocking assault. Writing in La Gazzetta dello Sport admitted that he was left without words after learning of the incident and called for deep reflection on the culture surrounding youth football.
“I’m speechless… Literally stunned by what happened. Indeed, above all, disoriented, because the behaviors that are now too often repeated on or around the football pitches invite much deeper reflection than instinctive and normal outrage. We must do something truly powerful and strong, something that restores reason, respect, and humanity to the center of our lives. These barbaric and inhumane acts have deep roots in unease, a lack of education, and a total lack of self-control,” he said.
Buffon went on to stress that football cannot simply shrug off such a disturbing decline in values. Instead, he urged a cultural shift and highlighted the importance of forgiveness as a way to break the cycle of violence: “I don’t know what the cure is, but we cannot helplessly accept such a profound cultural, social, and behavioral decline. That said, I want to send a huge hug and best wishes for a speedy recovery to my colleague, the goalkeeper, advising him to respond to violence with forgiveness, because only with such counter-trend choices can we attempt to eradicate such brutality and create a better world and environment.”
The assault has sparked outrage and soul-searching across Italian football and beyond, shining an unflattering light on recurring violence around youth pitches. Clubs, coaches, and football bodies have been forced to confront the toxic culture of aggression that sometimes overshadows grassroots football.
This incident has been reported just a couple days after a 13-year-old Lyon academy prospect was arrested under suspicion of stabbing a 16-year-old to death and with that the calls for lifetime bans, education programs for parents, and stronger disciplinary action are growing louder. The withdrawal of Volpiano Pianese from the tournament was a symbolic but powerful message, that the values of football matter more than trophies.
The incident has become a watershed moment for Italian grassroots football. With FIFA, legendary goalkeepers like Buffon and and national media spotlighting the case, pressure is mounting on football authorities to take decisive action. The attacker faces legal proceedings for assault, while calls for lifetime bans from football-related activities continue to grow.
For the victim, the road to recovery will be both physical and psychological and for the wider football community, the incident could trigger reforms in parental conduct at youth games, stricter supervision, and awareness campaigns, the steps desperately needed to ensure children can play the sport they love without fear.
