Italian ire was piled on top of Wednesday’s Champions League quarterfinal between Manchester United and AS Roma when the mayor of Rome, among others, called United Manager Sir Alex Ferguson to apologize for warning fans of the “real danger” they faced from Roma’s “Ultras” at the Stadio Olimpico.
The club published an open letter on its Web site saying as much, in addition to sending a copy to its 4,500 supporters with tickets. The Italian press was outraged by that decision. One commentator accused United of making “a weather forecast of violence,” while another questioned whether there were “racist” undertones to the letter. Several press reports have called on police and security officials to defend the city’s reputation.
United, meanwhile, was shocked the matter received so much attention in the press. A club spokesperson said management was “simply passing on advice” to its supporters. Rome mayor Walter Veltroni said he lodged an official complaint to the city’s British ambassador, Edward Chaplin. “I regard [the comments from Manchester United] as very unpleasant and I would like to assure Manchester United fans that they are welcome in our city and that the true image of Rome is very different to how it has been portrayed by their club.”