TV firm says it wasn’t an employee who racially insulted Juve’s Medhi Benatia

Defender was abused in an interview and company say they are investigating

Last updated:

Rome: Italy’s national broadcasting company has denied that one of its employees made a racist insult toward Juventus defender Medhi Benatia.

Benatia was being interviewed on a Rai television show after Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Torino and the Morocco international was connected to the studio through an earpiece when he heard the insult.

Rai released a statement on Sunday saying it is “sincerely sorry for the deplorable incident of racism” but having looked into the matter “can exclude that the unacceptable phrase was uttered by a dependent of the company.”

It adds “the investigation will continue.”

The insult was not broadcast but Benatia heard it and asked “who said that? I heard someone talking in the background. They insulted me.”

The Rai presenter then cut short the interview because of “technical difficulties.”

Get Updates on Topics You Choose

By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Up Next