ITALY'S foreign minister has intervened on behalf of Napoli fans whose trip to Glasgow was ruined by UEFA and written to airlines to request refunds for their supporters.

Rangers fans are banned from attending the Champions League match in Italy next month because of 'sporting integrity' after UEFA banned 660 Napoli fans from Ibrox for this week's group stages match, which was rescheduled due to policing issues arising from the death of the Queen.

At least a couple of thousand Rangers supporters would have been expected to travel for the match at the Estadio Diego Armando Maradona and most would have already booked flights and hotels.

A Naples politician has already demanded UEFA refund the costs of the supporters and Napoli have already refunded their fans for the match tickets at Ibrox.

But now the Italian government has taken up the fight too and Minister of Foreign Affairs Luigi Di Maio has written to executives from airlines Ryanair and EasyJet.

He stated: "Napoli fans learned with bewilderment of the decision to postpone the Champions League match between Glasgow Rangers and Napoli to the following day.

"As if that were not enough, on the same day the prohibition for Neapolitan fans to participate in the away match was also announced.

"I am well aware of the pain of the people of the United Kingdom for the grave mourning suffered for the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and I also understand the public order reasons that led to the postponement.

"However, when the decision was made, many Napoli fans had already arrived in Scotland and the fans have therefore suffered significant financial damage for their flights and hotels.

"So I have written to both Ryanair and EasyJet and requested a refund for the fans' flights or a travel voucher as a gesture of goodwill."