Roberto Mancini, the manager of Italy, has supported kids who dressed up like Victor Osimhen, the top scorer in Serie A from Nigeria, during carnival week in Naples.
As is customary, both adults and kids dress up in costumes, masks, and capes to attend the carnival as one of their idols. This year, some kids decided to take on the persona of Osimhen, who has scored 20 goals in 24 games for Napoli this season.
Millions of people have seen a video posted on Twitter that features a youngster who is blackened out and wearing a mask to appear like Osimhen while wearing a Napoli shirt.
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The dressing however attracted some backlash on social media as fans hit out at the culture as racism.
A Nigerian writer, Sabrina Efionayi took to facebook to criticise parents for allowing their children to use blackface during the carnival.
“Every time a player with black skin excels in a team (in this case, Napoli), I always feel this tremendous angst over how people think he should be celebrated.
“From Gino Sorbillo painting his face black to show solidarity with Koulibaly, to the children you painted brown in “honour” of Osimhen for Carnival.
“Trust me, it is not celebrating him at all. It gives me goosebumps if you think it is showing solidarity, being amusing or supportive of the Nigerian player.”
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Mancini swiftly took to Instagram to hit back at Efionayi’s criticism, posting an image of young fans in their Osimhen outfits.
“Where some see racism, I see only wonder,’ the Euro 2020 winner urged.
“Sport is inclusion and you kids are giants!”
Italy’s approach to racial sensitivity has been heavily questioned in recent years, especially in relation to the popular television programme ‘Tale e Quale Show’, which has seen white celebrities use blackface to transform into iconic music artists and perform as them.
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