Offensive comments directed at Lorenzo Lucca; the comedian deletes the video and apologizes
Massimiliano Allegri’s Napoli is struggling immensely, and among the players targeted by fans, Lorenzo Lucca stands out in particular. The powerful center forward has yet to find his scoring touch early in the season and has appeared to be in great difficulty in his most recent appearances.
Comedian Peppe Iodice, a die-hard Napoli fan, posted a satirical video directed at Lucca following Napoli’s loss to Venezia. In the clip, which immediately went viral on social media, Iodice makes demands for Lucca to improve his performance in a mocking tone. The video, however, sparked a wave of hate directed at the Napoli striker.
A huge number of fans sent vulgar messages to the former Udinese player, so Iodice decided to delete his video from social media: “As you may have noticed, I deleted the video I made of the phone call with Lorenzo Lucca,” he later explained on Instagram. “I took it down because, perhaps for the first time after posting a video, I didn’t feel right—I didn’t feel at peace—and by nature, I always need to be at peace, at least with myself.”
“I thought that video was fueling the keyboard bullies. Some people in the comments under the video lashed out at Lorenzo, and in a way, I lashed out too by making it. I take responsibility for this, even though my goal is always to make people laugh by telling the truth, because Lorenzo is actually playing in a surreal way. But I’m nobody to fuel that kind of online hate, to shoot at a red cross.”
“I wanted to do satire in some way, but perhaps it’s mainly directed at the powerful, at the strong. Right now, Lorenzo is going through a vulnerable period, and I don’t want to contribute to making that situation worse. If Lorenzo—as I hope with all my heart—starts scoring and gaining confidence, I’d tease him with all my heart. For now, I’d rather not; I’d rather not fuel this hatred, so I’m better off stepping back. See you very soon. A big hug, and go Napoli forever,” concluded Iodice.
