Napoli boss Maurizio Sarri risks
being banned for over four months after allegedly calling Inter
Milan coach Roberto Mancini a "queer" in a spat about extra time
at Inter's 2-0 win at Napoli in an Italian Cup semi-final
Tuesday night, sources said Wednesday.
An Italian Soccer Federation (FIGC) sporting judge would
give Sarri a fine or a ban of up to three games if Sarri's
statements are adjudged to have been "injurious", the FIGC
sources said.
They said this shorter penalty was more likely.
But a ban of "no less than four months" would be warranted
if the slur is deemed to have been "discriminatory", the sources
said.
Mancini told Italian TV after the match that "Sarri called
me a queer and a faggot, he should be ashamed of himself. He's a
racist, he can't belong to the soccer world. In England they
wouldn't let him coach, nor even onto a training ground".
Sarri's self-confessed remark spurred criticism from the
Italian sporting world.
Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) chief Giovanni Malagò said
"if those remarks were said I don't understand Sarri's
justification, that these things should stay on the pitch.
"Sarri is intelligent and he knows that you can't
circumscribe these things to on-pitch talk, otherwise there's no
end to it".
Former top fencer Valentina Vezzali said "such insults have
to be stigmatised".
The insult also sparked indignation from Italian LGBT
groups.
Arcigay called on Sarri to take part in a march for gay
rights, while Gay Center called for "an exemplary punishment"
for the slur.
Sarri sought to defuse the case, saying that "I've already
apologised and I repeat that: I'm absolutely not a homophobe. I
have had gay friends".
He was speaking as he received a booby prize from satirical
TV show Striscia La Notizia, the so-called Golden Tapir.
The row sparked memories of past Italian soccer flaps over
gays.
Most recently, the head of the Amateur League, Felice
Belloli, was forced to resign after saying that putting money
into women's soccer was just wasting cash on "a bunch of
lesbians".
During the 2012 European championships, Antonio Cassano was
asked about the possible presence of gays among the Azzurri and
stoked a firestorm by replying: "Queers in the national team? I
hope not, but it's their business".
Before that, 2006 World Cup winning coach Marcello Lippi
said he had never met any gays in soccer and would apply a
'don't ask don't tell' approach to the issue.
More recently, former Italy coach Cesare Prandelli said he
did not expect any player to come out, ever.
Going back in time, former Juventus general manager Luciano
Moggi courted controversy when he said "there are no gays in
soccer, I don't know if the players are against them but I
certainly am.
"I would never hire one of them," said Moggi, who would
later be disgraced by the Calciopoli match-fixing scandal.
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