The University Sports Center (Cus) Cagliari has relieved “with immediate effect” the coach Andrea Congiu from the role of coach of the men’s and women’s futsal teams (C1 5-a-side football championship), “following his very serious behavior during a match futsal in Villacidro, during which he repeatedly addressed heavy racist insults to a player of Villacidrese Calcio, Sergio Rocha”. This was communicated in a note by the club which “deeply apologizes to the player Sergio Rocha and to the management of Villacidrese Calcio for the incident and will evaluate with its lawyers how to protect itself from this unprecedentedly serious behavior on the part of one of its members “.
“I am terrified. What happened yesterday on the playing field is terrible. It is the furthest thing from the values that we teach our kids every day: respect for others and for the opponent, and the values of solidarity, tolerance and inclusion – states the president of Cus Cagliari Marco Meloni – Racism cannot find space either in society or in sport and must be actively opposed. I asked the president of Villacidrese Calcio Matteo Marrocu and the footballer for a meeting, to apologize personally and to decide together how from such a miserable episode we can draw inspiration to relaunch the values of tolerance, inclusion and the fight against any form of racism and discrimination” Heared from the newspaper L’Unione Sarda the coach apologizes: “I don’t deny having said what I I said, because denying it would be even worse. I was wrong to say what I said and I assume all the responsibility and consequences. Sergio Rocha and I know each other well, and for many years, we even hugged each other before the match. I can’t explain why he then started to provoke me on the pitch. Unfortunately I reacted in the worst way, responding to his gratuitous provocations in the wrong way. I have always taught my athletes respect and loyalty. I also have many foreign employees at work. In short, racism is not something that belongs to me, but I fight it.”
breaking latest news © Copyright ANSA