Mazzola, the editor-in-chief of Tuttosport, criticizes Juventus fans: “Uncivilized”
The day after the Juventus-Atalanta match, the front page of *Tuttosport* focused primarily on the events leading up to the game, which editor Guido Vaciago described as “uncivilized” in his editorial. “Desecrating the memory of a champion is a cowardly act, because it is committed against the memory of the deceased and against those who cannot defend themselves. Not to mention that it is completely and stupidly wrong. First: The minute of silence is a moment to stand in silence in the face of a person’s death (and, fortunately, three-quarters of the stadium showed composure and emotion).
“Internally, one can fill that silence however one wishes: no one is required to express it; everyone is asked to do and say nothing for just under a minute, precisely to leave that freedom to each individual. Second: Gaetano Scirea, whom those in the South Stand were cheering for, would never have approved of such behavior—in fact, he would have been deeply ashamed of it. Incidentally, a little knowledge of history would have revealed that Scirea, as a child, rooted for Inter precisely because he was a fan of Mazzola, whom he tried to imitate in his early days as a central midfielder. Third: if we demand respect—which is indeed often lacking—for the victims of the Heysel disaster, who are disparaged with unpleasant frequency in Italian stadiums, we must show that same respect in return. Otherwise, the demand lacks credibility. It is an absolutely legitimate demand, because the righteous indignation that has erupted since yesterday afternoon over the desecration of the minute of silence in honor of Mazzola should equally be directed at the chants, banners, scarves, and flags that have been mocking the Heysel tragedy for the past forty years. Rarely has it been written about, almost never discussed on TV, and very few in the media world view it as a serious problem—even though the memory of those who died and their families should be defended just as vigorously. Beyond the outrage, however, we must understand why such a despicable act could even cross anyone’s mind.
“We cannot pretend that everything that has been done to Juventus—and that has not been done to other teams—has slipped by the collective conscience of the Juventus faithful without leaving a trace. The disparities in treatment—from sports justice to the media—have carved out a dangerous rift, in which vile and petty behaviors, such as the boycott of a minute of silence, can take root. Be careful—in fact, be very careful: this is not an attempt to justify anything, but rather to offer a sociological explanation of what happened, in an effort to understand the situation, without limiting ourselves to rhetorical condemnation. Italian soccer has a problem that, for far too many years, it has pretended not to see. It can certainly continue to avoid providing plausible explanations to those subjected to such disparate treatment, but it should not be surprised if that rift becomes ever deeper, darker, and more dangerous,” Vaciago concluded.
