Kick it out? Italy needs giant boots

THE global condemnation of events at the San Siro on Wednesday night was suitably fierce.

The outrage over the racist abuse at Kalidou Koulibaly was genuine.

Not to mention the horror at the death of a fan amid fighting ahead of the Inter-Napoli match.

But don’t, for one minute, think the fury over what occurred was universal.

Gabriele Gravina, head of the Italian Football Federation, was unhappy that Carlo Ancelotti suggested he may take his players off if it happened again.

And Gravina praised referee Paolo Mazzoleni for ignoring Ancelotti’s calls for the game to be halted.

“If players left the field, it would break the rules,” declared Mazzoleni.

Break the rules? Break the rules? There was a black player whose efforts to do his job were accompanied by monkey noises from banks of racists. Who gives a toss about the rules? And then there is Matteo Salvini, Italy’s deputy prime minister.

Here’s his take on matters. “(Leonardo) Bonucci got booed by Milan fans, is that racism?”

No, it’s not. It is fans expressing their displeasure that a top player left Milan to return to Juventus after one season.

It is not abusing a player for the colour of his skin.

No one in football can be in any way complacent in the fight against racism.

And, clearly in Italy, they have a mighty fight on their hands.

ONE of Mick McCarthy’s priorities as the new Republic of Ireland manager is to secure the future of Declan Rice. No wonder.West Ham have moved quickly to sort out his contract situation at club level and, now, McCarthy will be desperate for Rice to commit to Ireland, having played three friendlies already.However, while Gareth Southgate has always appeared to be against the idea of having to persuade a player to represent England, I suspect he might make a notable exception in Rice’s case.Rice’s head has already been turned but Southgate might well go into overdrive now.