SPORTS “Judge Me Only Based on the Facts,” Asks the President of the Italian Football Federation

By Adam Smulevich
 
In an exclusive Interview with Pagine Ebraiche the President of the Italian Football Federation Carlo Tavecchio described as an “unhappy incident” the episode of 2015 that saw him using the Italian term ‘ebreaccio’, a pejorative for ‘ebreo’ (Jew), to call a Jewish-Italian businessman. Back then, his words had aroused disdain and distaste in all public opinion, not just in the Italian Jewish world.
 
“That word was unfortunate, but said in a goliardic tone, like so much other nonsense that can be said in a confidential conversation, and it made me an anti-Semite. Those who know me, know very well what my thoughts are and how far I am from these accusations, and the esteem and friendship that exists between me and this person,” stressed Tavecchio in an interview with our newspaper.

The President of Italian Federation also said: “The jokes and words in said randomly are one thing. The facts, those which really count to evaluate a person, are another. I just want to be judged on the latter”.