Nine days after the incident that led to Juventus playing their next home match in an empty stadium after their supporters were found guilty of verbally and racially abusing Mario Balotelli, Clarence Seedorf and Inter Milan head coach Jose Mourinho have come out in the press with a very, very interesting take on the situation, one that is a must read.

Via TimesOnline

So why did Clarence Seedorf, one of Serie A’s most high-profile black footballers, and José Mourinho, Balotelli’s coach, reject that it was racist? Welcome to a story about black and white that seems filled with shades of grey.

Of course, to the Italian FA, there is no grey. Juventus were found guilty of not doing enough to halt the racist abuse once it broke out in the stands (indeed, no one even thought to try to warn the fans via the public address system). The Turin club were fined and ordered to play their next match behind closed doors with the warning that, next time, the punishment would be much tougher. Serie A authorities also reminded match officials that they had the right and duty to halt a game if racist abuse persisted.

It was the first time such a hefty punishment had been meted out in Italian football – similar events in the past had led to fines and, where individuals had been identified, banning orders. Then again, if you’re going to start issuing serious punishment for racist abuse, you have to start somewhere and picking on Italy’s biggest and best-supported club at least sends the message that no one is above the law.

Except that’s when the contrarians came out. Juventus’s Ultras, their hardcore supporters, were quick to say that the abuse of Balotelli had to do more with his behaviour than with the colour of his skin. It’s not hard to see why opposing fans do not like the 18-year-old Inter striker, a player whose showboating attitude sometimes makes Cristiano Ronaldo seem humble. Indeed, Facebook has three antiBalotelli groups with total membership of more than 45,000.

“You have to stop calling this racism, because it isn’t racist,” AC Milan’s Clarence Seedorf said. “It’s the same kind of abuse that other, nonblack players get when fans sing about their mothers. The fact is that certain players stand out because of their behaviour on the pitch. Balotelli needs to understand that if he continues to behave this way he will continue to elicit similar reactions everywhere he goes.”

Mourinho’s reaction also raised eyebrows, not least because many expect the “Special One” always to defend his players and get any edge he can. “The abuse was childish and ignorant but it wasn’t racist,” he said. “It’s not as if they were abusing him because Balotelli is of African descent. They were abusing him because he’s an opponent, and a very talented one at that, one whose skill had just led to a Juve player getting sent off.”

Head over to the TimesOnline to read the rest of Gabriele Marcotti’s article.

Image via Cr7