“Allow me to suggest a title for this interview: “You don't understand anything anymore!”. In his long journalistic career Roberto Beccantini has seen (and continues to see) thousands of matches, yet he still manages to be amazed by the scandals related to the world of football. "It's never boring" he said sighing when I asked him for this interview, in which he slipped into one of the hottest times of the moment: the stadium issue, which exploded after the decision by sports judge Tosel to close San Siro for Milan-Udinese.
These days there is a lot of talk about racial and territorial discrimination: what do you think?
“We are the country of excesses, first thousand tolerance and then sub-zero. In the case of Milan-Udinese, territorial ears enter our para-juridical zoo. In fact, it seems to me that Galliani does not dispute the chants themselves, but rather that no newspaper or TV had mentioned them before the sentence. There's no getting around it, the phenomenon of racism must be fought, after all these are laws inspired by UEFA. Tosel is the least guilty, he only applies what is written on paper. I confess that, some time ago, he warned me that quite a ruckus would soon break out ”.
Yes, and certainly the distance that Platini has taken from the concept of territorial discrimination does not help to calm spirits…
“What do you want me to tell you, Platini is smart. When he is in France he speaks French, as soon as he arrives in Italy he becomes Italian. But then, in European competitions, the stadiums were closed, as Lazio was able to ascertain. If you read the UEFA regulations carefully, you will notice that there is a certain freedom of maneuver and it is normal that each country adapts according to its own needs. In Scotland, for example, choirs that recall religion, a deeply felt theme in those parts, are prohibited. We have included the territory, perhaps forgetting the country we live in, made up of many small rivalries from region to region. And then we are emotional, we do not accept sentences ”.
It is a common feeling that this story will not end here. It is no coincidence that there is already talk of a Federal Council to amend the law.
“Let's not forget that Milan took action, in fact the matter has become a matter for the Federal Council. You will see that it will come out the Italian way, i.e. giving the sports judge the possibility of not necessarily using the cleaver. Let's put it this way: when Tosel wants, he can turn a blind eye, or rather an ear ”.
An old theme of our football has come back into the news these days: the relationship between clubs and ultras.
“I have nothing against honest ultras, those who support their team in the right way, and indeed I say that sometimes certain journalists and managers are worse. In Italy, however, there are too many off-limits situations, the example of Brescia comes to mind, forced to give up first Gallo and then Giampaolo, albeit for different reasons. These knots should be cut, but nobody does it because after all the close relationship is also convenient for the clubs. I don't see a real desire to defeat racism, indeed it is rather relative".
Speaking of ultras: Tosel's ruling has managed to create a real alliance between curves. What do you think will happen immediately after the break?
“I confess to being very curious. After seeing the Neapolitans insulting themselves by calling themselves choleric, I wouldn't be surprised to hear the Juventus fans praising Heysel and the Turin fans at Superga. Certain things only happen here, by now the real revolution is normality".
A consideration of many is that then, in the end, it will be above all the respectable fans who lose out. Isn't there a risk that this regulation will permanently remove them from stadiums?
“The stadiums have been drained of TVs, which however do not exist only in Italy. The problem is that instead of creating stadium-lounges, we have created stadium-lounges. Our facilities are old, obsolete, the fans have extreme difficulty going there now, and it's not just a matter of prices because, on those, we are in line with other countries. Between the fan card and impossible times it has become very complicated to go to the stadium, on this I agree with the ultras. Going back to the question, it is clear that the healthy part of the supporter will be unjustly hit, but that's how strict liability works, and not just in football. After 11 September every time I take a plane I am stripped naked, yet I have nothing to do with the attacks. To paraphrase Winston Churchill, strict liability is the worst of all systems excluding all others… Having said that, should this principle fall, it would be very difficult to find an alternative”.
Attachments: Federico Bertone's ebook: “Everybody's crazy about Mario. The Balotelli Phenomenon
