by Rex Wockner
International News Briefs
The coach of Italy's national soccer team, Marcello Lippi, said Aug. 26 that an openly gay couple would not be welcome on the team.
"Two members of the blue selection at the moment could not ever have a relationship in the light of day," Lippi told the Webcast KlausCondicio. "It's not a cultural issue but (a matter) of interests with which a relationship of this kind would come into conflict."
"Imagine how an issue like a homosexual couple who play soccer would be addressed," Lippi said. "Even if from a cultural point of view a good part of the people were in support, able to understand and accept the situation, the topic would be exploited in such a way that it would end up having a negative connotation."
Not that Lippi need worry, apparently. He also has said there are no gay professional soccer players in Italy – "or at least in 40 years of my career I have never met any."
