Antonio Conte doesn’t need to worry about setting a bad example for football fans, at least according to one leading Italian journalist.
The Inter boss was caught up in a bitter row during Tuesday’s Derby d’Italia in which he showed Juventus president Andrea Agnelli the finger, which was reportedly captured on a camera Juventus had set up specifically to watch Conte at the Allianz Stadium.
Mario Sconcerti did not condone the ugly scenes, which saw Conte allegedly insulted throughout the game by Juventus players and officials – among whom Leonardo Bonucci – but he also had no patience for those suggesting it was sending out the wrong message to kids.
“I would like to reassure Agnelli, Conte and also Bonucci because I’ve heard they are sorry for what happened in Turin,” Sconcerti began a column for Italian news outlet CalcioMercato.com.
“They can do whatever they want and insult each other as much as they like.
“They will never become a bad example because nobody is looking to them as examples in the first place.
“They have roles that serve a different purpose.”
Sconcerti then went on to question if anyone has ever truly looked to footballers and those working in football as examples to follow in life.
“Have you ever found someone who really takes examples from football? For what? As an example of how to insult each other?
“Just go onto the street, open a social network, listen to the radio, talk with friends.
“Does anyone think that a coach or a president can represent a milestone in our children’s lives?
“I have never heard anyone say their example in life is Conte.
“I have heard people say that he is good and certainly rich, but never that he’s an example to be followed.”
The Italian Football Federation have reportedly opened an investigation into the skirmishes in midweek, after the match officials’ report somehow included no mention of the incidents.
Conte and Agnelli could therefore still be punished for their actions by the FIGC, despite having escaped sanctions from the Serie A disciplinary commission.
