By Andrew Warshaw
May 21 – Despite renewed efforts from football’s authorities to try and eradicate racism, Italy’s season ended with yet more examples of discrimination – just a week after FIFA president Sepp Blatter’s personal intervention over the issue.
Roma have been ordered to close part of their stadium for one game and both they and Inter Milan were fined €50,000 after fans chanted abuse on the final day of Serie A on Sunday, while Fiorentina supporters heckled AC Milan’s black striker Mario Balotelli.
Last week Blatter denounced the Italian authorities for being too weak and said lessons had still not been learned following a Serie A encounter between AC Milan and Roma, when three Milan players were victims of racist chants and play was stopped early in the second half.
But the three most recent incidents further underlined what appears to be almost institutionalised racism that has plagued Italian football.
Serie A said in a statement that Roma would have to close a section of their ground for one game at the start of next season after the abuse during their clash with Napoli.
Inter, already fined €50,000 for racist chants towards Balotelli in February, were punished with the same fine for an incident at their final game against Udinese plus a warning over their fans’ future conduct.
Balotelli has long been a target of racist abuse in Italy where he returned in January after a spell with Manchester City. His controversial late penalty on Sunday helped Milan win 2-1 at relegated Siena and take third spot, beating Fiorentina to a Champions League berth.
As Milan’s team bus passed through Florence on its way back from Siena in the early hours of Monday morning, a group of Fiorentina fans shouted racist abuse, prompting Balotelli to take to Twitter to complain.
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