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Outcry in Italy where the international of the Squadra Azzurra, Cherif Traoré, pillar of Guinean origin, was offered as a Christmas present two rotten bananas by a teammate of his club Benetton Treviso. Shocked, he revealed this affair and an investigation was opened. Treviso suspended the player who committed this act of racism.
The traditional “Secret Santa” within the Benetton Treviso team has turned out badly this year. Cherif Traoré, a member of this elite Italian rugby club, thought he was having a good time with his teammates on Tuesday, December 20, during this meeting where we give each other gifts. But the player – whose name has not filtered for the moment – who was to give him a present had the very bad idea of offering him … rotten bananas.
The day after this insulting gift, Cherif Traoré, an Italian international of Guinean origin and born in Kindia, expressed his disgust on social networks. ” Besides considering this gesture as offensive, the thing that shocked me the most was seeing most of my teammates present laughing. As if everything was normal “, he wrote on his Instagram account.
« Not this time »
Matteo Cioffi, RFI correspondent in Italy, was able to reach Cherif Traoré. The latter confides: I felt shame when I discovered two rotten bananas in my present. It was no longer a party. I was very sad, especially since several of my teammates were laughing around me. I have been playing for Treviso for eight years. I had been the target of racial slurs before, but I didn’t want to talk about it. Not this time. »
The Benetton Treviso organized a meeting to address this scandalous gift on Wednesday. ” Those who came up with the banana idea told me it was a bad joke. They apologized to me, I accepted them “, explains the 28-year-old pillar, who “ sincerely hope that such behavior will never be repeated again, especially so that the young people of this club are not in turn victims of it in the future ».
Treviso suspends player pending investigation
However, the matter does not stop there. Thursday, December 22, the Italian Rugby Federation and the Treviso club announced the opening of an investigation and the provisional suspension of a player. ” The federal prosecutor has launched the investigations necessary to establish the facts, as well as the collective and individual responsibilities, to protect the founding values and the reputation of the game “, Indicates their joint press release. The Benetton Treviso has him “ decided to suspend one of its members as a precaution, for the duration of the investigations ».
To AFP, the club confirms that the suspended individual is indeed a player and not a staff member. Earlier, the Benetton Treviso had already strongly condemned any expression of racism and denounced ” the absurd stupidity of the culprit.
The United Rugby Championship (URC), the championship of the Scottish, Irish, Welsh and Italian provinces, has for its part asked the Benetton to provide a full report on the incident and the disciplinary measures taken. ” Racism and discrimination of all kinds are odious, totally unacceptable in society and totally contrary to the values of rugby and the URC “, insists the league.
