Allegri hits back at Balotelli troublemaker claims
AC Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri has hit back at claims from the mayor of Verona that Mario Balotelli is a troublemaker, saying the problem of racism lies with supporters not the Italy attacker.
|Last Updated: Aug 24, 2013, 12:12 AM IST|Source: Bureau
Rome: AC Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri has hit back at claims from the mayor of Verona that Mario Balotelli is a troublemaker, saying the problem of racism lies with supporters not the Italy attacker.
"The racism problem isn`t anything to do with Mario, but rather with a lack of culture on the part of people who go to the stadium and behave in a certain way towards players with a different skin colour," Allegri said on Friday.
Allegri was speaking at a news conference ahead of their Serie A season-opening match at Hellas Verona on Saturday (1600 GMT).
Verona mayor Flavio Tosi, also speaking before the promoted local team`s first Serie A match in more than a decade, said Italy striker Balotelli brings abuse upon himself.
"Mario is a troublemaker. There are lots of black players (in Italy), and those who don`t wind up opposition fans don`t have any problems," Tosi, who represents the separatist Northern League party, told Radio Sportiva.
"Balotelli is a formidable player... but he knows how to be irksome when he`s out on the pitch and that exasperates people. He even managed to have issues with Chievo fans, who most certainly are not racist," he said referring to the city`s other first division team.
However, Tosi appealed to Hellas Verona fans not to abuse Milan`s black players and backed the closing of spectator sections or even whole stadiums should fans racially abuse players.
Lazio and AS Roma will have to play matches with the hardcore fan sections of the Olympic Stadium in Rome closed after incidents of racist chanting.
"If chants come from four idiotic individuals then it`s right to close the sector. If it`s the whole stadium at fault then it`s correct to close the entire ground," the Gazzetta Dello Sport quoted Tosi as saying.
Tosi`s party has been embroiled in a series of racism scandals.
He was the only Northern League politician to publicly apologise to Italy`s Minister for Integration Cecile Kyenge after Senate vice-president and fellow party member Roberto Calderoli said she looked like a orangutan.
Juventus manager Antonio Conte also backed a hardline approach with racist supporters, pleading with journalists to not give them any attention.
"The thing that needs to be done is that you, both in written and television journalism, stop giving attention to these people, who are proud to see themselves on TV," Conte told reporters at Friday`s press conference for their clash at Sampdoria (1845 GMT).
Hellas Verona`s match with Milan will be their first in the top flight for 11 years after securing promotion from Serie B on the final day of last season.
Reuters
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.