Sacchi and Racism in Italy

Italy's government has called for an end to racism after comments by former Italy and AC Milan coach Arrigo Sacchi which attracted massive condemnation on social media and the sporting world.

Sacchi, who helped Milan win back-to-back European Cups in 1989 and 1990, stated that "too many blacks" played in Italy's under-20 leagues and that Italy no longer had "dignity or pride."

Gary Lineker, a former England international and Mino Raiola, the agent of black Italian player Mario Balotelli were among the first to hit out.

“Sacchi is ignorant and these comments have given a bad impression of Italians.”

Raiola. Opined. While Gary Lineker commented on his twitter that,

 "There are too many racists in Italian football."

The outbursts led the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) which was silent initially to make a statement late on Tuesday. "The Italy of 30 years ago is not the Italy of today," said Graziano Delrio, the State Secretary to Prime Minister Matteo Renzi who also holds responsibility for sport in the Italian council of ministers.

"Today there are young players who are Italian citizens in fact and by right given that they were born and raised in Italy even if their parents had overseas roots.

"They are part of the young generation who go to our schools, who play on our football and sports fields.

"And the theme of skin colour is certainly not where we should start trying to revitalize our youth system."

Speaking at an awards ceremony on Monday, the 68-year-old said, "Italy now has no dignity or pride, because we have too many foreigners playing in the under-20 leagues. In our youth sectors there are too many blacks."

The former director of Italy's national under-21 team claimed he was not racist because he signed a player like Frank Rijkaard, a Dutchman of Surinamese origin, when he was coach at Milan.

"I'm certainly not racist, as my coaching history demonstrates with Rijkaard. But look at the Viareggio tournament. I would say that there are too many coloured players, also in the under-20 teams in Italy."

It would be recalled that not less than three months ago, FIGC President Carlo Tavecchio was barred from holding any position with Fifa for six months over an alleged racist comment he made in August.

The 71-year-old Tavecchio, then campaigning for his current position, caused an outcry when he made a comment about a fictitious African player he named 'Opti Poba' "eating bananas".

                                                           Blatter Shuns Sacchi

Fifa president Sepp Blatter said he was shocked at comments from former AC Milan and Italy coach Arrigo Sacchi who reportedly complained about the number of coloured players in Italian youth football.

"Pride and dignity is not a question of skin colour. Stop it," Blatter said on Twitter.

Sacchi, who led Milan to successive European Cup titles in 1989 and 1990 and took Italy to the 1994 World Cup final, reportedly made the comments during an event on Monday night.

"Italy has no dignity or pride, it can't be right to see teams with 15 foreigners," Italian media quoted him as saying.

"I'm certainly not racist and my coaching history shows that... but watching the Viareggio (youth) tournament brings me to say that there are too many coloured players, also in the youth teams," he said.