By Nicolas BambaPosted on 21-01-2019Modified on 21-01-2019 at 00:42
The Italian Football Federation has decided to maintain the two-game suspension against Kalidou Koulibaly, the defender of Naples expelled against Inter Milan on 26 December after being subjected to racist slurs. His club evokes "a serious defeat for football". And its president is once again stepped up after the victory won against Lazio Rome.
The decision fell on Friday 18 January. And she put oil on a fire still alive in Italy. The Italian Football Federation has examined the "Koulibaly dossier". The facts: on December 26, ten minutes before the end of the clash between Inter Milan and Naples (1-0), Senegalese defender Kalidou Koulibaly ironically applauded the referee and received a second yellow card, synonymous with 'expulsion. He then takes two suspension matches. However, his state of nervousness on the ground can be explained by serious facts: many supporters of Inter have shouted him with racist overtones during the meeting. Unfortunately, recurring facts in Serie A. The controversy then takes hold of Italy.
"The law prevails"
On 18 January, therefore, the Italian Federation was called upon to rule on the appeal lodged by Kalidou Koulibaly concerning his suspension. Already absent on December 29 against Bologna (3-2), the central defender hoped to obtain the clemency of the proceedings to be able to play this Sunday, January 20 against Lazio Rome (20th day). A vain hope: his second suspension match was maintained.
The Court of Appeal noted " the unacceptable atmosphere " at the Giuseppe-Meazza stadium during the famous match against Inter. But she felt that this " does not justify an athlete making fun of the referee ". She also indicated that she did not want to see a racist attack in the future " be used to justify an act of violence ". The President of the Court, Piero Sandulli, expressed his solidarity with the player, " but the law prevails ".
"A humiliation for the fight against racism"
A decision that has sullied SSC Napoli. In a statement, the club coached by Carlo Ancelotti denounced " a serious defeat for football ", saying that Italian football " missed a great opportunity to fight racism ." Club spokesperson Nicola Lombardo speaks in this long letter of a " humiliation for the fight against racism led by UEFA for many years and that Naples has always supported ." " Thousands of people (7,400 according to the federal representative in the field) have insulted Koulibaly because he is black, " he recalls.
"To lift the suspension of Koulibaly had to be done, regardless of regulation, bureaucracy. By not doing it, it's football that dies. Because football is above all a matter of passion, a passion that unites billions of people around the world, a passion that can not be mocked in this way. (...) Unfortunately, we have confirmation that there is still a lot to do and a lot to change, "said the Neapolitan club.
Sentenza #Koulibaly, if è persa a great opportunity ➡️ https://t.co/fIxZ2ayFbH #ForzaNapoliSempre pic.twitter.com/OISiap6ewq
Official SSC Napoli (@sscnapoli) January 18, 2019Inter wants to erase his image, Naples wins and chamber Federation
Saturday, Inter Milan, which was inflicted two games behind closed doors after the incidents of December 26, launched its anti-racist operation called "BUU" for "Brothers Universally United". 11,000 schoolchildren were invited to play the Inter-Serie A match against Sassuolo (0-0). " It's an initiative that shows how much the club cares about certain values, " said Giuseppe Marotta, the general manager.
This Sunday, January 20, Kalidou Koulibaly, him, was well in the stands of the stadium San-Paolo, to purge his last game of suspension. He did not miss the performance of Naples against Lazio Rome (2-1). " A deserved and important victory: congratulations guys, " he tweeted late in the evening. Napoli are still in second place in the championship (47 points), behind Juventus (53 points) and ahead of Inter (40 points). Aurelio De Laurentiis, the president of Naples, nevertheless sent an ironic message to the authorities after this success. Renowned for not having his tongue in his pocket, the leader said, " I want to dedicate this victory to Judge Sandulli. "
Vittoria meritata e importantissima: bravi guagliu '💪🏿 🇮🇹 #NapoliLazio 2-1 #SerieA 🇸🇳 # KK26 #famiglia 💙 #ForzaNapoliSempre
A publication shared by Kalidou Koulibaly (@kkoulibaly26) on Jan. 20, 2019 at 2:09 am PST
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