Italy police question teenager on soccer death

PALERMO, Italy, Feb 8 (Reuters) Italian police said today they were questioning a 17-year-old boy over the death of a policeman in riots outside a soccer stadium in Sicily last week which led to the suspension of matches all over Italy.

The policeman died after being hit and having a homemade explosive thrown into his car outside a Serie A game in Catania last Friday. Police in Sicily would only identify the suspect as a teenager from Catania.

All matches were immediately suspended after the policeman's death pending a security review and only the safest stadiums will be open to fans when matches resume this weekend.

Italy's government was due to release a list today of which stadiums would be allowed to open and which would have to play behind closed doors until they improve security.

Only four stadiums in Serie A -- Rome's Olympic, Palermo's Barbera, Turin's Olympic and the Artemio Franchi in Siena -- are believed to meet the regulations, which include closed-circuit TV surveillance, numbered seating and electronic turnstiles.

The rest, including Milan's San Siro -- home to AC Milan and Inter Milan -- may require varying degrees of work.

Other new security measures include a ban on the block sale of tickets to away fans, a beefing-up of stadium bans for those involved in violence, including under 18s, tougher jail terms and a ban on financial links between clubs and fan associations.

Firecrackers will no longer be allowed inside stadiums and, at least initially, there will be no late-night matches.

REUTERS SAM PM1810