SCAREMONGERING RACISTS

From the Guardian

Sir Alex Ferguson once claimed before a European Cup tie in Milan that "when an Italian tells me it's pasta I check under the sauce to make sure". He has chosen his words more carefully ahead of tonight's quarter-final against Roma but Manchester United's capacity for upsetting Italian hosts has resurfaced in the form of an extraordinary diplomatic row.

As Ferguson and his players trained last night on the Stadio Olimpico pitch, United found themselves facing demands for an apology from, among others, the mayor of Rome. He was among those to have been upset by the club's decision to write to their fans, warning them of the "real danger" of being attacked by Roma's "Ultras", and advising them of several areas in the city centre they should keep away from.

An open letter was published on United's website, as well as being sent to the 4,500 supporters with tickets, and has subsequently been picked up by an outraged Italian press, with one commentator accusing the Premiership leaders of making a "weather forecast of violence" and several newspapers even questioning whether there are "racist" undertones. Police and security chiefs have been quoted defending the city's reputation and, to their utter bemusement, United found themselves among the headlines in the television news last night.

A club spokesman tried to defuse the row, explaining that it was not their intention to cause offence and they were "simply passing on advice", but the damage may have already have been done. The Roma coach, Luciano Spalletti, described himself as "extremely annoyed by this slur" and the mayor, Walter Veltroni, revealed that he had made an official complaint to the city's British ambassador, Edward Chaplin.

"These comments from Manchester are unfortunate and unpleasant and they are also dangerous because they can create a negative climate," said Veltroni. "I regard it 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."

United had urged their fans not to take the public transport shuttles to the Stadio Olimpico and not to travel on the metro to the Piazza Flaminio or the Ponte Nenni bridge, because these were routes commonly taken by the Ultras. The Campo de Fiori, a square in the city centre, was also identified as a no-go area after three Middlesbrough fans were stabbed, and 10 injured, when they were ambushed before a Uefa Cup tie last season.

Liverpool's fans have also been attacked in the past but that did not stop the Prefect of Rome, Achille Serra, and the city's highest-ranking security officer, Jean Leonard Touadi, from joining Veltroni last night in speaking out publicly about what they consider to be a smear on the city's reputation.

"I'm surprised and worried after reading what Manchester United have said," declared Serra. "Everybody should try to contribute to keep a serene and calm environment but this kind of letter is going in the opposite direction. Those words create a hot atmosphere and risk incidents."

Touadi added: "I find it very surprising that officials from Manchester United would decide to suggest that Rome is an unsafe city. It is over the top and unnecessary. Recent statistics have shown that Rome is one of the safer cities in Europe, certainly a lot safer than London and many English cities."