ITALYLazio fined for
racist abuse of
Mario Balotelli
Lazio have been fined €20,000 for their fans’
racist abuse of Brescia striker Mario Balotelli in
the latest case of racism in Italian football.
Brescia’s Serie A game at home to Lazio was
temporarily halted and a stadium announcement
made urging away supporters not to sing
discriminatory songs about Balotelli.
“Lazio fans that were today at the stadium
SHAME ON YOU!” said a social-media post from
Balotelli, who opened the scoring in a 2-1 defeat.
Lazio said in a statement: “As always, Lazio
dissociates in the most taxing way from the
discriminatory behaviour carried out by a very
small minority of fans during the match against
Brescia. The club once again reiterates its
condemnation of such unjustified misconduct
and confirms its intent to prosecute those who in
fact betray their sporting passion, causing serious
damage to the image of the club.”
Earlier this season, Balotelli threatened to walk
off the pitch when subjected to racial abuse
during a game at Verona.Two of the main stories that we cover this month have a
common theme. The Club World Cup (page 62) and the
Spanish Super Cup (page 20) were both played in the
Middle East, in Qatar and Saudi Arabia respectively.
As we enter a new decade, football clubs and
administrators continue to have no qualms about
following the money around the globe, even if that
means dragging supporters to
matches thousands of miles away
from home and playing in countries
with dubious human-rights records.
The growing global consensus on
the need to tackle climate change
should be a catalyst forcing football
to change tack. But it doesn’t appear
that much will change in the near
future. This summer’s European
Championship, the second time the
fi nals have been expanded to 24 teams, will be played
across the continent at huge cost to fans travelling to
and from the 12 different host countries.
Later this year we celebrate our 60th anniversary,
having fi rst published in October 1960.
The global game
has changed beyond
recognition in that time,
but bigger does not
always mean better.Liverpool beat Flamengo to win Club World Cup .....................................................p
Sadio Mane voted CAF Player of the Year .................................................................p
1966 World Cup winner Martin Peters dies ...............................................................p
Spanish Super Cup played in Saudi Arabia .................................................................p
Li Tie replaces Marcello Lippi as China coach ............................................................p
Dortmund sign Haaland from Salzburg ........................................................................p
Ibrahimovic makes surprise move back to Milan ......................................................p
New rules on foreign players in China ..........................................................................p
Riquelme takes director role at Boca ...........................................................................p
PSV sack Van Bommel .....................................................................................................pGavin Hamilton, Editor
Football
clubs and
administrators
continue to have
no qualms about
following the
money around
the globeTHE WORLD THIS MONTH