Racism on the bench at Cus Cagliari during a futsal match in Villacidro . The insults - towards the player Sergio Rocha - cost the job of Andrea Congiu, coach of the club's men's and women's teams, who was relieved of his duties after what happened on the pitch.
The University Sports Center itself broke the news on Facebook, which informed fans and contacts of the decision with a post.
The measure takes effect immediately . "The club deeply apologizes to the player and to the management of Villacidrese Calcio for what happened and will evaluate with its lawyers how to protect itself from this unprecedentedly serious behavior on the part of one of its members", reads the statement posted on social media.
President Marco Meloni also expressed his opinion on the case: «What happened yesterday on the field 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. Racism has no place in society or in sport and must be actively opposed. I asked the president of Villacidrese Calcio Matteo Marrocu and the player for a meeting, to apologize personally and to decide together how we can draw inspiration from such a miserable episode to relaunch the values of tolerance, inclusion and the fight against any form of racism and of discrimination".
Andrea Congiu doesn't hesitate for a moment: « I apologize for the sentence . I was provoked several times by the player and I reacted very badly, out of nervousness, making the wrong insult because I wanted to respond to those gratuitous provocations. However, I can guarantee that racism has nothing to do with it: throughout my career I have trained many foreign and black athletes and they can assure you that I have never had any racist attitude. On the contrary". Having said this, Congiu reiterates: «I repeat: I was wrong. I just can't explain why Sergio, who I have met many times and with whom we know each other very well, provoked me in that way. After a goal he came with his finger on my face in front of me. If one of my players had done it I would have made him sit on the bench because respect for the opponents comes first. Instead he came back and continued to provoke me, with smiles. And I exploded in the wrong way. Because if I had insulted him with any other phrase, maybe they would have expelled me, but I wouldn't have ended up at the center of this fuss." Congiu concludes: «I have always worked in five-a-side football, even with young people and women, teaching respect and loyalty. And I have many foreign employees at work. Never a problem, actually. In short, racism doesn't belong to me and I fight it."
