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The former Italy manager Arrigo
Sacchi has denied making racist comments at an awards ceremony. Photograph:
Pedro Armestre/AFP/Getty Images
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The
former Italy manager Arrigo Sacchi has denied being racist after he was quoted
as saying there are “too many black players” at youth level in Italy – evidence
that the nation is now “without dignity or pride”, The Guardian UK reports.
Sacchi,
speaking at an awards ceremony, was quoted by Italian media as having said:
“I’m certainly not racist and my history as a coach demonstrates that … But
look at the Viareggio [youth] tournament I would say that there are too many
black players. Italy has no dignity, no pride. It should not be possible that
our teams should have 15 foreign players in the squad.”
The
68-year-old, whose club coaching career included spells at Parma, Milan,
Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid, later tried to clarify his stance after the
comments were reported, telling Gazzetta dello Sport: “I have been misrepresented,
how could I be racist?
“I
just said I saw a game featuring a team who fielded four coloured boys. My
history speaks for itself, I always coached teams with different colours and I
bought many, both at Milan and at Madrid.
“I just wanted to point out
that we are losing our national pride and identity.”
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