April 5 -Italy coach Roberto Mancini has called for tough measures in Serie A after the “unacceptable” racist abuse of Juventus’s Italian international Moise Kean.
Juve’s recent 2-0 win at Cagliari was marked by constant monkey chants being directed at Kean and two other teammates.
Kean’s response after coming off the bench to score Juve’s second goal was to stand in front of the home fans, arms outstretched, in response to the chants. He later took to Instagram to say his actions were “the best way to respond to racism”.
Afterwards Juve manager Massimiliano Allegri who felt that his teenage striker “shouldn’t have celebrated in that manner” but Mancini disagrees.
“We can no longer accept this, we need to act and hard. Racist behaviour must be stigmatised,” Mancini told reporters after receiving the Enzo Bearzot Award given annually to an Italian football manager.
“We must ensure that these things don’t happen again. The attitude against Kean was unacceptable.”
Italy next play a Euro 2020 qualifier against Greece on June 8, which is followed three days later with another Group J clash against Bosnia-Herzegovina.
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