It is not by these details that a player is judged. It is the blue soundtrack on the theme of the fight against racism and the gesture of kneeling, born from a sportsman, Colin Kaepernick, and became a symbol of Black Lives Matter. On Friday in Monaco the quarter-final of Euro 2020 pits Belgium against Mancini's Italy, one of the teams since the beginning of the tournament engaged in demonstrating before the game with that knee to the ground against all forms of racism. And the blue line is defined: "We will do it too, for sensitivity and solidarity, when our opponents do it", a managerial source clarified to ANSA last Friday.
So, everyone like Belgium at the Allianz Arena on Friday. But with the conviction that the controversies raised around the behavior of the players are excessive: "The judgment on the sensitivity of all the members of the national team in defense of the rights of the human person is in the blue DNA, as evidenced by many initiatives and declarations in this sense, and cannot be subordinated to adherence to one, not the only, manifestation of support for the anti-racist fight ", he went back to emphasize federal football, explicitly speaking of" prevarication "regarding those who would like to impose on the Azzurri the way they to express their beliefs.
The controversy arose after the third qualifying match, with Wales: for the first time Italy had found itself in front of a team that adhered to Black Lives Matter, and five out of eleven players had put their knees to the ground. "We hadn't talked about it, we were caught a bit by surprise - said today Pessina, one of the 'kneeling' - But now we all think the same way". And the thought is that everyone should be free to demonstrate or not to demonstrate, in the belief that this is not the only way to say no to racism. "It's a radical chic gesture", Matteo Salvini said after Wales. "I would like everyone to kneel down", the opinion of Gianni Letta, convinced that the scene with Wales was "very bad".Perfect mirror of the division in the middle of the Italian public opinion, whose social thermometer had registered criticisms (and even insults) to the blues standing and those on their knees.
Chiellini on behalf of the Azzurri then spoke of upcoming national anti-racism initiatives, in line with those of civil commitment of the past, but with Mancini he reiterated a concept: in this field there is freedom to choose the way.
"In reiterating its unconditional commitment and that of all the Azzurri against racism and all discrimination", the FIGC wanted to reiterate today against any controversy about the past and the future that "it considered it appropriate to leave the team the freedom to join the campaign ' Black Lives Matter '":" As already stated by the president Gabriele Gravina no later than a week ago - continues the note - the FIGC - believes that the imposition of any behavior represents in itself a form of prevarication and supports the choice of the team on the occasion of the Euro 2020 matches, including the one with Belgium next Friday. The judgment on the sensitivity of all the members of the Italian national team in defense of the rights of the human person is in the blue DNA,as many initiatives and declarations in this sense prove, and cannot be subordinated to adhering to one, not the only, manifestation of support for the anti-racist struggle ".
