Why has Italian football banned shirt No. 88 from next season? Reason behind new agreement comes to light 

Italy have banned the No. 88 shirt from any level of football next season because of its links to neo-Nazi groups. FIGC president Gabriele Gravina recently signed an agreement that would prohibit players from wearing the No. 88 shirt.

This comes after an incident that took place in March when a Lazio fan was spotted wearing a shirt with the No. 88 on its back. The shirt read 'Hitlerson' as the name.

Parma's Gianluigi Buffon, Atalanta's Mario Pasalic, and more are among the most high-profile footballers who don the shirt number for their respective clubs.

The fan who wore the No. 88 shirt during the Roma derby, faced charges under the 1993 Mancino Law. The law goes against the people who perform chants regarding fascism or Nazism.

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When Giorgos Katidis was banned from playing football for AEK Athens for performing a Nazi salute

On March 16, 2013, Giorgos Katidis created one of the biggest controversies in recent football history. The player performed a Nazi salute after scoring a goal for Greek club AEK Athens.

His action soon boiled the pot. Katidis was suspended by his club for the remainder of the season. He was also handed a fine of €50,000 for his actions. Katidis wrote on social media at that point in time:

"I am not a fascist and would not have done it if I had known what it meant."

At the time, AEK Athens' coach, Ewald Lienen, said about the matter:

"He is a young kid who does not have any political ideas. He most likely saw such a salute on the internet or somewhere else and did it without knowing what it means."

Katidis was previously the captain of Greece's under-19 football team. He currently plays for Panelefsiniakos. He was handed a lifetime ban from representing his country.