Cherif Traore accepts apology after receiving racist gift from teammate

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Cherif Traore says he accepted an apology from his teammates at Benetton after receiving a racist Christmas present.

Traoré, a Guinea-born Italian international, revealed on Instagram yesterday that he received a rotten banana as a ‘Secret Santa’ gift from one of his team-mates, which many Benetton team members found fun.

The racist giveaway has been widely condemned, with Irishman Simon Zebo calling for the player responsible to be sacked, although a statement from Benetton suggests such action is unlikely.

In a second statement on the matter, after a largely generic first statement, Benetton announced that the entire team had been called in for the incident and an apology had been issued to Traore.

Benetton’s second statement on the incident.

Traore is quoted in this statement in which he says he accepted the apology and describes the team as a family.

“The meeting this afternoon was an opportunity to discuss and understand how what one of my companions did during the Christmas gift exchange was purely the result of idiocy and nothing else,” Traore said.

“I appreciated and accepted his apologies and those of the whole team. I am happy with the gesture and I am sure that what happened will make the group even stronger.

“We are a family and as such we will continue to engage on and off the pitch, fighting, as we have always done, against all forms of discrimination.”

Benetton chairman Amerino Zatta and co-captain Michele Lamaro are also quoted in the statement in which they both condemn any form of discrimination.

How often does he make a mistake or offend a family member, a lot. Well, this time it happened inside ours. Now what matters is understanding the mistake and apologizing. We are a family and as such we will continue together always pic.twitter.com/PxCyQczvsr

Benetton Rugby (@BenettonRugby) December 21, 2022

Cherif Traoré explains in more detail his thoughts on the matter.

Traore also posted another message on Instagram, in which he says he wants to forgive the person responsible for the racist incident, but that he will not forget it.

“Christmas is kindness, Christmas is gratitude, Christmas is forgiveness. This year, I take these words for my life and I want to put them into practice,” Traoré wrote.

“We don’t always get what we deserve and I admit it hurts when that happens. But if you want to receive good, do it first, right?

“The episode I went through is now viral and tonight I want to take this step first. I’m not like the one who put me through this. My Christmas 22 words will be ‘kindness, gratitude and sorry “.

“’Good’ because I want to take this situation and turn it into ‘good’. One day look back and be proud of the choice I made. I am grateful to my club, my team and all those who have shown me their solidarity.

“And I want to forgive, which, I admit, does not mean forgetting the story, nor being passive in the face of what happened. But I want to heal my wounds and keep my head up without weighing on my heart.

“I’m ready to start 23 with the smile and courage that have always distinguished me. Will you be by my side?”

Find out more about: benetton rugby, Cherif Traoré

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