‘No Gays’ in Italian National Football says Lippi

Marcello Lippi, the coach of the Italian national football team, has once again made comments deemed discriminatory against gay men in football. His latest controversial remarks came during an interview this week with the European Internet television program KlausCondicio.

Lippi, who on a previous occasion had stated he had never met a gay player or heard of one in his 40 year career, said during the interview that 'In the current climate, two national team players could never be involved in an open relationship'

He went on to say 'Imagine how a homosexual couple in football would be perceived. Even if, socially, most people would support and understand such a situation it would nonetheless become magnified and eventually be viewed negatively'

His comments coincide with a recent upsurge in antigay attacks in Rome, including an assault on a male couple and a gay club being targeted by arsonists.

In response Arcigay, a leading gay rights group in Italy, issued a statement condemning Lippi's remarks.

"Words like these fortify the prejudice that homosexual relationships are dirty and unspeakable, uttered by a person who plays an educational role model for millions of Italian boys playing soccer and who believe in sport as a model of social and cultural life.'

The coach, who led Italy to victory in the 2006 World Cup, has previously been quoted as saying there are no gay players in football.

"This is not a question of culture but is more related to the fact that such a relation would create conflicts contrary to the interests of the dynamics of the group.' said Lippi.

Rome's mayor, Gianni Alemanno, supports Arcigay's calls for antidiscrimination legislation.

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About the Author:

Gary Cosby writes for social networking sites. Links for this story: http://www.arcigay.it/arcigay-english http://www.lifeinitaly.com/node/3034