Italy CT Roberto Mancini has blasted the ‘unacceptable’ racial abuse subjected to Moise Kean but claimed that Leonardo Bonucci was ‘misunderstood’.
Mancini won the Enzo Bearzot Award on Thursday, but the former Inter boss was instead forced to answer questions about his Italy internationals after Kean was targeted by Cagliari fans and Bonucci suggested his Juventus teammate had provoked them.
“The attitude used against Kean was unacceptable,” he told reporters.
“Racist behaviour must be stigmatised so that it can be no longer. Positions must be taken. We must also be tough so that these things stop happening.
“Kean’s still a boy. Maybe next time he won’t celebrate like he did, but he probably felt in distress.
“I think Bonucci was misunderstood. Now it seems that the important thing was the controversy between Balotelli and Bonucci, instead of what happened on the field.
“We must ensure that these things don’t happen again. As for the national team, we’ll see whether we call all three up…”