Fat little Indonesian! Italian columnist attacks Inter chief with racist slurs
Inter Milan owner Erick Thohir has been branded a "fat little Indonesian" by an Italian columnist, according a report by AFP.
Evelina Christillin, who was the president of the organising committee for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, used her column in the Italian edition of the Huffington Post to attack the Indonesian media mogul after his predecessor and long-time Inter owner Massimo Moratti ended his 19-year association with the club by leaving his post as honorary president.
Christillin wrote: "What is there left at Inter without Moratti?
"A fat little Indonesian who, at the end of the day, has taken over from Moratti and has the majority of the shares but no one knows if he has the financial clout or not."
'Slant-eyed baby doll'
She went on to call Thohir a "cicciobello a mandorla" - an Italian phrase that loosely translates to "slant-eyed baby doll".
Ciccio means plump or chubby in Italian while a cicciobello is an Italian doll. Occhi a mandorla, which means almond-shaped eyes, is often used to describe a person who looks Asian although it can be used in a racist manner.
Christillin continued: "The slant-eyed baby doll can do what he wants, he (Moratti) is no longer there."
It is a second attack on Thohir, who also owns MLS franchise DC United, in as many weeks after Sampdoria president Massimo Ferrero was forced to issue an apology last week when he said: "It's not right that Moratti was treated like this. I am very sad for him. I told him: kick out that Filipino...."
Ferrero later said: "I would like to sincerely underline I did not mean any disrespect to Thohir, the directors of Inter or the people of the Philippines, who I have always had a great relationship with.
"I was trying to praise Moratti and all he has contributed to Inter and Italian football for 20 years."
Source: AFP
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