After receiving a rotten banana as part of the team’s Secret Santa, Benetton teammates have apologized to Italy prop Cherif Traore.
In a social media post that was later deleted and then republished, Traore described the incident and said that other members of the squad laughed at the gift from an unnamed coworker.
In reaction to Traore’s bombshell revelation, the United Rugby Championship club first issued a statement denouncing racism but omitted any mention of an investigation.
However, on Wednesday afternoon, all Benetton players were asked to report to the practice field where they apologized to the 28-year-old Guinean and heard from club president Amerino Zatta.
“The meeting was an opportunity to discuss and understand how what one of my team-mates did when exchanging Christmas presents is purely the result of idiocy and nothing else,” Traore said.
“I appreciate and accept his apology and that of the entire team. I’m happy with the gesture and I’m sure what happened will make the group even more solid.
“We are a family and as such we will continue to commit ourselves on and off the pitch, fighting, as we always have, against all forms of discrimination.”
Traore, who came to Italy from west Africa when he was seven years old and has earned 16 Italy caps, said he was “hurt” by his teammates’ reaction when he opened his gift.
“Yesterday, when it was my turn, I found a banana inside my present. A rotten banana inside a bag of moisture,” he said in the now-deleted Instagram post.
“Apart from calling the gesture offensive, what hurt me most was seeing most of my mates present laughing. As if everything is normal.
“I’m used to it. Or rather, I’ve had to get used to it, putting on a brave face whenever I hear racist jokes in order to try not to hate the people close to me. Yesterday was different though.
“Thankfully some comrades, especially foreigners, tried to support me. Outside Italy, a gesture like this is severely condemned even in small instances, and this time I want to say my piece.”
Zatta condemned an incident that provoked an outrage.
“I’m happy that Cherif accepted the apology, understanding the absurd stupidity of one of his teammates,” Zatta said.
“I am sure that this will strengthen the sense of cohesion within the group and that such a gesture will never happen again in our family.”
