|
|
 |
 |   |
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Video Plus Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities 
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE | |
Positive move Lazio challenges racist fans by signing Liverani
MILAN (Reuters) -- Fabio Liverani will become only the second black player to pull on a Lazio shirt when he makes his debut for the Rome club against Parma on Sunday. Liverani, who last season became the first black player to represent Italy, completed his 25 billion lire (US$11.80 million) move from Perugia to Lazio on Friday. The playmaker, who has risen rapidly from lower division football to make his full debut for Italy against South Africa on April 25, will add much-needed quality to the midfield. However, the reaction of Lazio's fans to his debut remains to be seen. The club's hardcore "ultra" supporters have gained infamy for their racist chanting and jeering of black players. The club has been fined several times by the Italian Football Federation and European soccer's governing body UEFA because of the behaviour of a racist section of their support. But Liverani, who has an Italian father and Somalian mother, says he does not expect a negative reaction from the fans. "I have always had pride in the colour of my skin," said Liverani. "I underlined that view when I was called up for Italy, but to be frank I don't think I will have any problems with my new fans." The only other black player to have worn the light blue shirt of Lazio, Dutch midfielder Aron Winter, might disagree. Winter, who was with the Rome club from 1992 to 1996 before moving on to Inter Milan, was targeted by racist Lazio fans during his spell at the club. No illusions Lazio president Sergio Cragnotti is certainly under no illusions about the nature of his club's supporters. In May Lazio was banned from playing at their Olympic stadium after racism against Roma players in the derby game. Lazio fans unveiled a banner aimed at their Roma counterparts, which declared "Team of blacks, Jewish home end." :Lazio are sick of dealing with this low-grade minority of imbeciles. The players are sick of having their prestigious achievements overshadowed by these yobs," said Cragnotti at the time. Earlier this month Lazio organized an anti-racist tournament "The Shalom Cup" featuring an Israeli and an Ivory Coast team in a bid to shed their racist image. The event backfired when the "ultras" boycotted the match but Cragnotti vowed he would not give in to the racists. "This evening was useful even if some boycotted it... Our fight against racism continues. Lazio will continue on this path without turning back," said Cragnotti. But former Italy international Gianni Rivera was quoted in the daily Gazzetta dello Sport as saying he did not exclude the possibility that the hardcore fans' boycott was the product of a "political project" by far-right groups. Cragnotti will be hoping that the presence of a black player in a Lazio shirt will at least act to deter the racist element, who, while content to insult opposition players, may think twice about jeering one of their own stars. There may be some foundation for such optimism. In the close season black France international Lilian Thuram was reported to be unhappy with a possible transfer to Lazio from Parma because of the Lazio fans's reputation and the ultras met the defender in a bid to to convince him to join the club. Lazio also has Ghanaian defender Daniel Ola in its youth team, although he has yet to feature in the first team squad.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
| |||||||||||||||||||||
