A report from the Italian paper Corriere Della Sera states that, in a football (soccer) match last Wednesday Feb. 6 2008, one or more green laser pointers were aimed at players in order to disrupt their performance. A Babelfish translation states “at least three players of the national German [team], engaged to Vienna against Austria, have been puttinges in the view-finder from the tribunes with rather powerful a green beam …. The torture to the German soccers player is then continued for a good part of the contest”.
Apparently this is not new for soccer. The paper describes past attacks such as Dec. 1 (2007?) when there was “damage to the forward of the Chelsea Didier Drogba,” and an attack in a match in Naples. But “the Austrian episode is but the most meaningful and worrisome.” The concern comes from the strength of these laser pointers, which can be “twenty or thirty more powerful times” than “the laser that in the life every day … make[s] to drive crazy the house cat.” Instead, it is “related… with the gunlayers laser mounts to you on the guns of some armies”.
It does not appear from the story that there is a crackdown on laser interference, although I am sure that some steps will be taken. Players, officials and leagues — to say nothing of fans — must realize that this is at best, unfair sportsmanship, and at worst, potentially dangerous (both as an example of unsafe laser use, and inherently as a bright light deliberately aimed at the eyes).
Thanks to Alberto Kellner of Laser Entertainment srl in Milan, who sent me the link to the original Feb. 9 2008 newspaper story.
