The chanting by Juventus fans at Inter Milan’s Ghana-born Mario Balotelli was not of a racist nature, AC Milan’s Clarence Seedorf insisted on Friday.
Seedorf, the Dutch-Surinamese midfielder, said: “You have to stop saying it was racism, because it wasn’t.”
In comments reported by the ANSA news agency Seedorf added: “There are some people who provoke and then there are reactions. The two types of behaviour are unjustifiable.”
Seedorf was making reference there to Balotelli who irked the Juventus faithful with his controversial on-field behaviour during last Saturday’s 1-1 drawn with Inter with Balotelli scoring Juve’s goal.
For Seedorf the chants directed at the 18-year-old were “identical” to those directed at two other provocative players, Inter’s Marco Materazzi and AC Milan’s Gennaro Gattuso, both of whom are white.
“When I hear things said about mothers (of the players), it’s just as bad,” he claimed.
Juve have been hit with a supporters ban for their next home match against Lecce after Italian football authorities acted swiftly to the chants at Turin’s Stadio Olimpico.
The club are appealing that decision.
