Racism in
football has once again reared its ugly head in Italy. A recent friendly match
at Busto Arsizio between fourth-tier Pro Patria FC and AC Milan was brought to
a premature end when the Rossoneri’s Kevin-Prince Boateng walked off the
pitch after being subjected to racist chants by a small minority of home
supporters. Boateng’s teammates followed him and the match was suspended.
The Italian
football federation, FIGC, has called on players not to follow Boateng’s
example, citing the public security officials who are responsible for stopping
or interrupting matches in the case of racist behaviour by fans.
While racism
has always been unanimously condemned by football authorities, opinions on how
to tackle this social ill have varied wildly. FIFA president Sepp Blatter has
urged players not to leave the pitch in protest, saying ‘running away’ is not a
long-term solution.
In contrast,
AC Milan president and former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has
stated that ‘I congratulated my players for their decision to leave the field …
Teams out on the pitch should set an example of civility and the educational
role of football should not be underestimated.’
