Carlo Tavecchio, the head of the Italian FA, is facing more pressure after discriminatory comments attributed to him have been made public by Corriere della Sera.
In a recorded conversation involving the sale of an amateur league’s headquarters, obtained and posted by Italian publication Corriere della Sera, Tavecchio is heard as referring to the buyer as a “lousy Jew” and also made a derogatory comment about gays.
Tavecchio was suspended by UEFA for six months last year when he made references to bananas when talking about imported players in Serie A.
Renzo Ulivieri, the head of the Italian coaches’ association, has spoken out against Tavecchio for his comments, saying, “Certain words shouldn’t be pronounced by anyone, and certainly not by the president of the Italian football federation.”
It is unclear why the conversation was recorded, or why it was then given to the media. Tavecchio has responded by saying he doesn’t remember saying what was published, and believes the audio “might have been manipulated.”
