Conte: 'Fans, don't insult opposition'

Juventus Coach Antonio Conte urged fans to support the team rather than aim abuse at the opposition. “I don’t want to play behind closed doors because of a few idiots.”

Serie A is again confronting the problem of racist chanting with captains reading out a message before kick-off in this weekend’s games.

Juve have been repeatedly fined in recent months for ‘discriminatory abuse’ from fans – a label that covers both racism and insults towards those from the South of Italy.

“I ask the fans to concentrate exclusively on our own team, because the most wonderful thing is to hear them sing for Juve, proud at what we are doing,” Conte told Tuttosport.

“When they are singing about a different team, it has nothing to do with us and we are not interested.

“I think every fan in every stadium ought to focus only on supporting their own side. I hope there will be no more of these ugly situations, as I don’t want to play behind closed doors because of a few idiots.

“It would be very damaging, especially at this crucial stage of the season, if we were to get a home ban. I’ve always said that for us the fans are the 12th man and sometimes even the 13th.”