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FOOTBALL

Roma star says sorry for Mandzukic ‘gypsy’ slur

Roma midfielder Daniele De Rossi has apologized after coming under fire for racially abusing Juventus striker Mario Mandzukic during a 1-0 defeat to the champions in Turin.

Roma star says sorry for Mandzukic 'gypsy' slur
AS Roma's Daniele De Rossi apologized for the slur against Mario Mandzukic. File photo: AFP

De Rossi was caught by television cameras mouthing “shut up, shitty gypsy” after the players clashed in what was a hot-tempered Serie A clash on Sunday.

Despite calls from organisations representing ethnic Roma people, De Rossi never faced the threat of a sanction because television evidence is not used retroactively in Italian football and the incident was not sanctioned or noted by the match referee.

The Italy international offered an apology on Tuesday – although not directly to Croatian international Mandzukic.

“I'm sorry to anyone who felt offended,” De Rossi said when asked to comment by a presenter from the 'Le Iene' television show.

“I was caught by television cameras saying something I shouldn't have. It's not the first time something like this has been said and it happens every so often on the pitch.

“Football can sometimes bring the worst out in players, although that's no justification. We'll try not to say things like this or, as the coach said, we'll cover our mouths.”

Roma coach Luciano Spalletti did not deny De Rossi's comments.

He instead claimed Mandzukic had insulted his players throughout the game and said De Rossi's only mistake was not to cover his mouth with his hand, a technique regularly used by players and coaches to conceal what they are saying.

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RACISM

VIDEO: Spain’s La Liga reviews video of boy racially abusing Vinicius

Spain's La Liga on Monday said it was reviewing a video of a child making racist insults towards Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior during the 2-2 draw with Valencia at the weekend.

VIDEO: Spain's La Liga reviews video of boy racially abusing Vinicius

“We’re in the process of studying and analysing the facts from a legal standpoint to see what we can and should do,” La Liga sources said.

In a video published by a journalist for ESPN Brasil, and picked up by Spanish media, a boy sitting in a woman’s lap can be heard calling Vinicius a “monkey”.

The Brazilian scored twice for Madrid as his team recovered from two goals down at Mestalla on Saturday.

Vinicius raised his fist in a “Black Power” salute after the first of his two goals at a ground where he was racially abused last season. Valencia subsequently banned three people from the stadium for life.

The 23-year-old has become a symbol of the fight against discrimination in Spanish football after suffering racist abuse on many occasions, and he was jeered repeatedly by home supporters on Saturday.

Jude Bellingham was sent off after the final whistle against Valencia for protesting after the referee blew the final whistle right before the England midfielder headed home what he thought was the winning goal.

READ ALSO: Football star Vinicius highlights racist behaviour from Spanish fans

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