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Corriere dello Sport condemned for 'Black Friday' front page with Lukaku and Smalling Corriere dello Sport defends 'Black Friday' front page featuring Lukaku and Smalling
(32 minutes later)
Corriere dello Sport has been heavily criticised for a front page featuring Romelu Lukaku and Chris Smalling and the headline ‘Black Friday’Corriere dello Sport has been heavily criticised for a front page featuring Romelu Lukaku and Chris Smalling and the headline ‘Black Friday’
The Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport has been heavily criticised for a front page with the headline “Black Friday” in regards to the former Manchester United teammates Romelu Lukaku and Chris Smalling facing each other on Friday. The Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport has defended its widely condemned front-page headline “Black Friday” which featured Romelu Lukaku and Chris Smalling as the former Manchester United players prepare to face each other in Serie A on Friday.
Above the headline, the paper wrote: “Lukaku and Smalling, former teammates at Manchester United and today idols at Inter and Roma, this is the battle within the battle tomorrow with the scudetto and a Champions League place at stake.” The front page was heavily criticised but the paper’s director, Ivan Zazzaroni, produced a remarkable defence, saying it was “innocent” and that the article by the journalist Roberto Perrone had “been made poisonous by those who have poison inside them”.
The paper was universally condemned, with Smalling’s club, Roma, taking to social media to show their disgust at the front page, tweeting: “No one. Absolutely no one. Not a single soul”, before the words “Corriere dello Sport headline writer” and a picture of the front page. The paper was universally condemned, with Smalling’s club, Roma, using social media to show their disgust at the front page, tweeting: “No one. Absolutely no one. Not a single soul”, before the words “Corriere dello Sport headline writer” and a picture of the front page.
Inter did not reference the newspaper article, but tweeted: “Football is passion, culture and brotherhood. We are and will always be against all forms of discrimination.” Inter did not reference the newspaper article but tweeted: “Football is passion, culture and brotherhood. We are and will always be against all forms of discrimination.”
Lukaku’s Italian agent, Federico Pastorello, said he was “really ashamed to read” such a headline. “Being an agent we are trying to protect our clients from this huge problem [racism] because it’s not only a newspaper but it’s a problem you can breathe in the stadium, in social media, on the street,” he told Sky Sports News, adding that Lukaku was not happy with the headline but that he is “he’s strong enough to face it”. Lukaku’s Italian agent, Federico Pastorello, said he was “really ashamed to read” such a headline. “We are trying to protect our clients from this huge problem [racism] because it’s not only a newspaper but it’s a problem you can breathe in the stadium, in social media, on the street,” he told Sky Sports News, adding that Lukaku was not happy with the headline but that “he’s strong enough to face it”.
The Fare network, which works against discrimination and for social inclusion in football, also tweeted, saying: “The media fuels racism every day. This is today’s edition of Italian sport daily Corriere dello Sport.”The Fare network, which works against discrimination and for social inclusion in football, also tweeted, saying: “The media fuels racism every day. This is today’s edition of Italian sport daily Corriere dello Sport.”
Fare’s executive director, Piara Powar, added: “Part of the problem we have with Italy and countries like that at the moment is people do not know where to draw a line. They don’t know what is the right or wrong thing to do, what is appropriate or inappropriate and what might be racism and what might be acceptable. Fare’s executive director, Piara Powar, said: “Part of the problem we have with Italy and countries like that at the moment is people do not know where to draw a line. They don’t know what is the right or wrong thing to do, what is appropriate or inappropriate and what might be racism and what might be acceptable.
“Would they ever take two white Italian players and say it’s ‘White Tuesday’? They wouldn’t and this is the issue. Why would you pick out two players who are black and highlight their race as a way to build up to the match? It crosses the line of acceptability.”“Would they ever take two white Italian players and say it’s ‘White Tuesday’? They wouldn’t and this is the issue. Why would you pick out two players who are black and highlight their race as a way to build up to the match? It crosses the line of acceptability.”
In the article the newspaper appeared to attempt to highlight the league’s racism problem. “In the faces of those idiots who boo, tomorrow everyone must instead go ‘oooh’ like children. It will be a Black Friday, but this is not an end-of-season sale,” the article said. It went on to describe Lukaku and Smalling as “two giants of colour”.In the article the newspaper appeared to attempt to highlight the league’s racism problem. “In the faces of those idiots who boo, tomorrow everyone must instead go ‘oooh’ like children. It will be a Black Friday, but this is not an end-of-season sale,” the article said. It went on to describe Lukaku and Smalling as “two giants of colour”.
Corriere editor Ivan Zazzaroni subsequently posted a statement on his paper’s website, claiming the writer’s intention was to celebrate the “magnificent wealth of diversity” in football. “‘Black Friday’, for those who want to understand it and can understand it, was only praising diversity, taking pride in diversity, the magnificent wealth of diversity,” wrote Zazzaroni. “If you don’t understand it, it’s because you can’t do that. It’s an innocent article, perfectly argued by [journalist] Roberto Perrone, that has been made poisonous by those who have poison inside them.” Zazzaroni’s defence of the front page and the article added to the anger and dismay in Italy and abroad. “Social media? … Full of noble grudges and cut-price indignation,” it read. “A kind thought a day keeps the doctor away. These days armies of right-minded people flock to the web to whitewash their beautiful souls. You locate the racist of the hour and off you go, in two strokes of the keyboard the stain has gone, you feel a better person in a better world. White, black, yellow.”
Lukaku and Smalling have both made successful starts to their careers in Italy. Lukaku has 10 goals in 14 Serie A games with Inter top of the league, one point ahead of Juventus. Smalling has been an ever-present since making his debut against Atalanta towards the end of September, having scored two goals and provided one assist. It continued: “Denying the difference is the age-old stumbling block of the racist anti-racist. The mental slum inhabited by part-time moralists, who suddenly are always on duty. ‘Black Friday’, for those who want to and are able to understand it, was only ever praising diversity, taking pride in diversity, the magnificent wealth of diversity. If you don’t understand it, it’s because you can’t do that. It is an innocent article, perfectly argued by Roberto Perrone, that has been turned to poison by people who are full of poison.”
Serie A has again been plagued by racist incidents this season, with Lukaku himself and the Brescia forward Mario Balotelli among those to be racially abused by supporters during games. An Italian TV pundit was also sacked for saying the only way to stop Lukaku was to give “him 10 bananas to eat”. Lukaku and Smalling have made successful starts to their careers in Italy. Lukaku has 10 goals in 14 Serie A games with Inter top of the league, one point ahead of Juventus. Smalling has been an ever-present since his debut against Atalanta towards the end of September and has scored two goals and provided one assist.
Only last week all 20 clubs in Italy’s top tier signed an open letter which called on “all those who love Italian football” to unite to try to eradicate its “serious problem with racism”. Serie A has again been plagued by racist incidents this season, with Lukaku himself and the Brescia forward Mario Balotelli among those racially abused by supporters during games. An Italian TV pundit was sacked for saying the only way to stop Lukaku was to give him “10 bananas to eat”.
Last week all 20 clubs in Italy’s top tier signed an open letter which called on “all those who love Italian football” to unite to try to eradicate its “serious problem with racism”.