Fan riot temporarily halts Palermo match

Palermo fans threw fireworks and halted their Serie A match against Lazio in each half on Sunday.

The match was stopped for nearly five minutes in the second half - the longest of the two interruptions - after a firework exploded seconds after Lazio midfielder Antonio Candreva ran past it.

Fans of relegation-threatened Palermo also threw seats onto the pitch before the situation improved. Around 300 people protested outside the stadium in Sicily after the match, which Lazio won 3-0.

Palermo coach Walter Novellino says "what happened is a shame," adding "fans are rightly not happy, but we have to try to move forward. They aren't completely to blame."

Counting caretakers, Palermo has had seven different coaches this season: Giuseppe Iachini (twice), Davide Ballardini, Fabio Viviani, Guillermo Schelotto, Giovanni Bosi, Giovanni Tedesco and Novellino.