Velasco: “In Italy, children of migrants become Italian only when it is convenient”

The coach of the women's national volleyball team: "Sport reflects an injustice. There should be a ius tutto... ius soli, ius scholae, ius sport"

ROME – “After the Gold medal in Paris I said that a moment of reflection was necessary. Now some time has passed and I can say that for the good of the national team and the movement, the intention is to continue until the next Olympics in Los Angeles 2028. We are talking with President Manfredi and I don’t think there will be problems in finding an agreement”. And so Julio Velasco, on the occasion of the ‘Premio Mecenate dello Sport-Varaldo Di Pietro’, announces the renewal of his contract as coach of the women’s national volleyball team.

But then Velasco takes the opportunity, interviewed by the program “Casa Italia” of Rai Italia, to strike a blow on the topic of citizenship: “Women’s volleyball for sociological reasons has more girls of African origin, it has some players like Fahr daughter of Germans, or Antropova daughter of Russian parents. They were born or studied in Italy, and it seems absurd to me that I, thanks to my grandfather Schiaffino who arrived in Argentina at the age of ten, could have taken citizenship without ever having visited Italy and spoken Italian. Instead, boys and girls born in Italy cannot do it. This is an old idea of nation and not of country that in my opinion is absolutely outdated. However, they are political flags that are used instead of taking note of reality”.

“Sport reflects a second injustice:when it is convenient, the children of migrants become Italian. It is when it is not convenient that they do not become Italian. Even those parties that vote against agree if it is convenient. When they are simply children of migrants they have to wait ten years”.

“There should be a ius tutto… ius soli, ius scholae, ius sport. In today’s world a boy who is born, studies, works in Italy must become Italian, and it makes no sense for boys who only want a chance to get a passport”.