Inter’s Roberto Mancini reflects on Tuesday's clash with Maurizio Sarri and says ‘he’s really offended lots of people.’
The Nerazzurri boss labelled Sarri ‘a racist and a homophobe’ after a touchline argument at the end of their 2-0 Coppa Italia win, during which Sarri used homophobic slurs.
The former Manchester City manager gave his version of events today, even suggesting that insults like the ones Sarri used can lead to suicide.
Inter’s Roberto Mancini reflects on Tuesday's clash with Maurizio Sarri and says ‘he’s really offended lots of people.’
The Nerazzurri boss labelled Sarri ‘a racist and a homophobe’ after a touchline argument at the end of their 2-0 Coppa Italia win, during which Sarri used homophobic slurs.
The former Manchester City manager gave his version of events today, even suggesting that insults like the ones Sarri used can lead to suicide.
“He’s really offended lots of people, so many poor guys in Italy or other parts of the world who are teased and insulted by people who say certain things with such ease,” Mancini told La Repubblica.
“Then maybe sometimes someone will commit suicide because they can’t take it anymore. How many times have we read stories like this?
“Am I a defender of civil rights? No, I’m a defender of nothing. But how can we still hear these things in 2016?
“Among other things, the thing that made me most angry was that while Sarri was calling me ‘f****t’ and ‘p**f’ he was a step away from the linesman and the fourth official. I highlighted the insults to them and they said to me: ‘Let it go, come on’.
“But he insulted me, and also made a gesture with his hand, like ‘go and take it up the a**e’ Incredible.
“I went into the changing room, by myself, against all of them. And he was still being a loudmouth. ‘Ok sorry, I’ve said sorry, what more do you want?’ he said.
“So I responded rudely. ‘But you don’t understand that you’re 60 years old and there are certain things that you mustn’t say?’
“He completely lost it. But he’s like that, it must be his nature. Then he made everything worse with what he said on TV.
“He should’ve said the easiest thing in the world, ‘I said some rubbish and I’m sorry’, and left it there. Instead he tried to be funny, a real low.”