Juventus were on Tuesday fined 20,000 euros (US$30,160) for chants their fans directed at Inter striker Mario Balotelli on Sunday.
Just two weeks away from the eagerly anticipated top-of-the-table “derby of Italy” between Juve and Inter, the incident stirred up memories of an ugly racism incident last season.
Since then Balotelli has become a favorite hate-figure for Juve fans, some sections of whom, during the 1-0 win over Udinese in Turin, sang: “If you jump up and down Balotelli will die.”
PHOTO: REUTERS
Juventus tried to discourage the chants by announcing “no to racism” over the stadium loudspeaker.
While not racist in its content, the chant was certainly distasteful and dredged up unpleasant memories of those directed at the Italian teenager of Ghanaian origin during last season’s Juve-Inter clash: “A black man can’t be Italian.”
The impudent Italy under-21 striker had annoyed the crowd with some typically impetuous actions on the pitch, but Juventus’ failure to take active measures to put a halt to the chanting saw them penalized and forced to play their next home match behind closed doors.
This time, the sanction was lighter, although Italian sports judge Gianpaolo Tosel explained that it was because of the nature of the chants.
“On four occasions during the game they took part in insulting chants that incited violence against another team’s player,” Tosel said. “The sanction has been applied to encourage the club to be active in its prevention of such deplorable behavior.”
Before flying out to Bordeaux for yesterday’s crucial Champions League clash, Juve center-back Fabio Cannavaro denied the chants were racist.
“Unfortunately I’ve heard chants like Sunday’s for many years, but they’re not racist,” he said.
After the game itself, Juve coach Ciro Ferrara, who used to play for Napoli, in the shadow of the infamous Vesuvius volcano, said he too had suffered such distasteful chants during his career.
“I am against any kinds of insults and racial discrimination, but if you go to football matches it shouldn’t shock you, these are chants that you hear in all stadiums,” he said. “I was a player and I remember the chant: ‘Vesuvius burnt everyone.’ I remember it and it hurt.”
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