Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Cobolli: "We Exercised A Right But We Are In The First Row Against Racism"
The day after the sentence pronounced by the sport authorities which will see Juventus playing in a closed stadium against Lecce and the subsequent appeal by the club, Giovanni Cobolli Gigli was interviewed by journalists after a meeting with the presidents of Serie A teams and asked whether the declarations made against racism on Sunday and the appeal contradict each other.
"No they don’t – answered the president – because while it is a duty to respect sentences passed it is a right for one appeal. Renouncing to such an appeal would be wrong because the club must exercise its rights not to annul the sentence but to have a sentence which is more in line with those pronounced in the past".
For the Juventus president this might also be the occasion to review the principle of objective responsibility "Juventus is doing everything possible against racism by trying to follow all the UEFA directives. It is necessary to make some amendments to the regulations. It is not up to me to say how to do this but I think it is important".
The president added: "Juventus tries to speak in a positive manner against racism but seeing us being penalized in this manner voids all our efforts. Rules are necessary: referees should intervene in favour of whom, like the clubs, risk paying for something which they are not responsible for. The Lega Calcio will fight so that regulations are defined by which the clubs will not suffer the consequences".
The argument also saw the intervention of UEFA president Michel Platini who from Rome where he was busy at the stadium which will host the Champions League final stated:
"It was neither a nice nor intelligent thing to do – he declared – but I have known the Juventus supporters for 30 years and they are not racist. When certain racist episodes arise and they become too violent with regards to coloured players, we at UEFA have the courage of suspending the match".
Juventus.com
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