The Italian league’s Chief Executive Luigi De Siervo has finally apologized for the inappropriate monkey face artworks it used in it’s head office as an ‘anti-racism’ campaign message.
The Italian league commissioned and launched artworks of Monkey faces, one Asian, the other African and the other European, and claimed they were using the artworks as a means to curb racism in Italian football.
The imagery by artist Simone Fugazzotto who defended his art by saying ‘we are all monkeys’ featured three apes with different color eyes and detailing and was criticized by Italian clubs AS Roma and AC Milan who have black players in their squad
The Italian football chief who initially said the artwork “aims to spread the values of integration, multiculturalism and brotherhood”, has now apologized.
“We realized it was inappropriate,” the league’s chief executive Luigi De Siervo said in a statement on Tuesday.
“What cannot be questioned is the strong and constant condemnation by Lega Serie A against all forms of discrimination and racism, and we are committed to eradicate this from our beloved league,” De Siervo added.
De Siervo said that the rest of the league’s anti-racism campaign will be presented early next year.
