Napoli’s belt ban for City showdown

NAPOLI have banned belts from the stadium for their Champions League clash with Manchester City tomorrow. Travelling City supporters, staff and English media heading to the Group F fixture will not be allowed to wear belts inside the Stadio San Paolo. City officials are trying to find out whether the ban extends to fashion-conscious coach Pep Guardiola and his players. The unusual move comes after belt-waving Napoli hooligans wreaked havoc at a City pub before the first match between the sides on October 17, which the home team won 2-1. One Napoli supporter was sent to prison for five months after a ‘cowardly attack’ on City fans. He was part of a group of eight who went on the rampage. One City fan, a 17-year-old boy, was hit by a cosh and suffered a serious head injury. Kevin Parker, general secretary of the Manchester City Supporters Club, branded the belt ban ‘ridiculous’. ‘It’s absolutely crazy,’ he said. ‘I know they’ve had issues with Napoli fans using belts as weapons, but since when has that been a thing in England?’