A few days ago, at the end of a Serie A match between Empoli and Fiorentina (home side 2-1 victory), a man was filmed putting a hand on journalist Greta Beccaglia’s butt.
The young woman, who works for the Italian channel Toscana TV, built a duplex near the Carlo Castellani stadium. “You can’t do this, I’m sorry”, she said to the individual in question, as the fans left the sports hall. Moments later, the show’s host, Giorgio Micheletti asked his colleague not to get angry. But this speech earned him severe criticism on the web, forcing him to take a “professional break” from the program. The reporter apologized, regretting “unhappy lyrics (…) used in a frenetic live moment”.
If a police investigation was opened, the police discovered the identity of this man. He is a fan of Fiorentina, responding to the name of Andrea Serrani. He could face criminal prosecution. An exclusion order was issued against him. This means that he is now prohibited from entering places where sporting events take place for three years.
In an interview with Italian television, he said he made a mistake and apologized. According to him, this act is not sexism but rather the consequence of the defeat of his team.
But in an interview given to Corriere della SeraGreta Beccaglia said the comments left her speechless. “Do you really think you haven’t done anything wrong?”, she reacted before adding that she hoped her case would prove useful “because women must be better protected” in Italy. The Italian journalist filed a harassment complaint against Andrea Serrani. She also accused another man of trying to touch her.
The incident comes as the Transalpine League was leading a campaign against violence against women. All footballers wore a red mark on their face as a sign of solidarity against the harassment.
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