Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri condemned Italian soccer culture as backward yesterday after his team’s match at home against Roma on Sunday was interrupted by racist chanting from fans.
Allegri also criticised the interruption, during which warnings were broadcast to the fans over the public address system, as an unsuccessful compromise and said that forward Mario Balotelli was being increasingly taunted by racist abuse.
“People should go to the stadium to see two teams battling each other on the pitch, not this sort of thing, it’s a place for the uncivilised,” he told reporters.
“Above all, the culture in Italy is backward.... on Sunday we had racism, laser beams flashed in the eyes of players and an interrupted match.”
Play was stopped early in the second half by the referee because of chanting by visiting Roma fans aimed at Balotelli and warnings were broadcast over the public address system.
The game resumed immediately afterwards.
“Stopping the game doesn’t work, it’s a happy medium and like all happy mediums, it doesn’t do anybody any good,” said Allegri.
“Balotelli gave everything but he is 22 and subjected more and more to racist chants and that doesn’t do him any good.”
Roma were yesterday fined €50,000 by the Lega Calcio after a section of their supporters racially abused three Milan players.
Referee Gianluca Rocchi used a procedure introduced in the wake of Milan midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng’s decision to lead his team-mates off the pitch during a friendly game at Pro Patria in January, forcing the abandonment of the match and sparking new debate on the subject of racism in Italian football.
Although Lega Calcio did not specify which three players it believed had been targeted by Roma fans, striker Balotelli was seen raising his finger to his lips in a bid to silence visiting fans.
Roma captain Francesco Totti then approached the away end at the San Siro during the suspension to reason with offending Giallo-rossi supporters.
A statement published on legaserie.it read: “A fine of €50,000 with a warning for Roma, whose supporters continuously ad-dressed racially discriminatory chants to three players of the opposing team, prompting the referee to suspend the game for two minutes in order to make them desist from such reprehensible behaviour.”