“Serious mistake. The mayor of Udine should reconsider” –

Controversy has erupted over the decision of the Municipality of Udine not to grant patronage for the match between Italy and Israel scheduled for the autumn in Friuli. The one attacking the decision is the senator of Fratelli d’Italia Paolo Marcheschi, responsible for sports at FdI: “The president of the FIGC Gravina did well to request patronage for the Italy-Israel football match scheduled at the Friuli stadium in Udine on 14 October as part of the Nations League. I hope the mayor of Udine, who in my opinion was wrong not to accept it, reconsiders his decision because sport should never be the scene of political claims. It is – underlines Marcheschi – a serious mistake to confuse the two levels. Patronage is a tool that promotes social cohesion and history teaches us that sport can be a decisive element to unite. The Municipality of Udine has missed the opportunity to use sport as an element of unity and overcoming conflicts”.