Eros Ramazzotti slams Inter fans for their tasteless banner about Heysel
The controversy shows no signs of abating following the shameful behavior of a group of Juventus fans during the minute of silence observed by the Lega Calcio to honor Sandro Mazzola, the Inter and Italian national team legend who died over the weekend at the age of 83.
Eros Ramazzotti, a big Juventus fan, also weighed in on the issue. After condemning what happened Sunday at Allianz Stadium, he wanted to clarify his remark about the “mother of all idiots, who’s always pregnant.” The Roman singer recalled the distasteful banner regarding the Heysel tragedy (39 deaths, including 33 Juventus fans) displayed at the ‘Meazza’ by Inter supporters in 2011, during a league match between Inter and Juventus.
Juventus itself sought to distance itself from the behavior of its ultras with an official statement titled “Respect and Sportsmanship”: “No rivalry can justify a lack of respect during a minute of silence. Honoring the memory of the deceased and coming together in remembrance during moments of commemoration is a shared responsibility that transcends team allegiances and colors.” The incident took place before kickoff, when some Juventus ultras turned their backs on the field while chanting in honor of Gaetano Scirea, Andrea Fortunato, and Gianni Agnelli, while applause rang out from other sections of the stadium in an attempt to drown out the chants.
Juventus coach Luciano Spalletti also reacted strongly, recalling his personal relationship with Mazzola during the post-match press conference: “Things like this shouldn’t be done; we need respect and sportsmanship. Legends of our soccer like Mazzola, Scirea, and Baresi are people of such dignity and such sporting and human values that we can all learn something from them. I met Mazzola when I arrived at Inter, during one of my first days there. He came over to hug me and expressed his support for the role I was taking on. He gave me a huge helping hand, and I’ll always cherish that moment in my heart.”
Claudio Marchisio, a former Juventus icon, also weighed in with an Instagram post that went viral: “There are things that, when you truly love soccer, you find hard to accept. What happened yesterday is one of them. Sandro Mazzola is a piece of our soccer’s history. And history must be respected.” The former midfielder then added: “Rivalry is passion, a sense of belonging, pride. But it can never overshadow respect. For the man, for the champion, for everything Sandro has represented for Italian soccer.”
Adriano Panatta was also outraged; speaking from the Domenica Sportiva studio, he didn’t mince words: “It’s shameful. The group of fans who did this have made me ashamed to be Italian because it’s inconceivable—it goes beyond any sense of bad taste, rudeness, and a complete lack of culture. In my opinion, they should be punished with a lifetime stadium ban.” Journalist Ivan Zazzaroni echoed this sentiment, writing on Instagram: “Mocking the dead (of others) is a whole new level of stupidity. There is no acceptable explanation, not even if it were a response to the ‘enemy’ fan section.”
