• Serie A

Capello laments 'ugly' Juventus incident

Former Juventus coach Fabio Capello has expressed his disappointment after an initiative by the club turned into a "very ugly incident."

Twelve thousand children were invited by Juventus to fill the two ends of the Juventus Stadium closed by the Italian football authorities due to repeated geographically and racially discriminatory chants of the Turin club's followers.

However, Udinese goalkeeper Zeljko Brkic was the subject of taunts at both ends of the ground from the youngsters in attendance, leading to conclusions that the behaviour of their elders had influenced their actions.

"It would have been a good idea if an announcement had been made," said Capello, who is currently in charge of Russia. "Instead, nothing was done and not even those accompanying them did anything, so the chants persisted."

He added to Rai television: "The situation has got even worse. This was a very ugly incident with what was a beautiful initiative by Juventus to fill the Curve with children ruined by chants which everybody heard."

The president of the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) Giovanni Malago also acknowledged the chants but preferred to look at the positives.

"Let's not ignore the good side," he said at the same event as Capello. "Certainly it's not something they've come up with themselves."

Speaking to Sky Sport after his first visit to a game at the San Siro at the weekend, Inter Milan president Erick Thohir added: "I want to make my contribution to clean up the game again from racism and bring families back to the stadium."

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