Giovanni Malagò, the head of
Italian Olympic Committee CONI, said Monday that he was backing
Valentino Rossi in the row over his clash with Marc Marquez at
the Malaysian MotoGP Grand Prix.
He added that punishing Rossi by making him start the
season-ending race in Valencia in two weeks' time from the back
of the grid risked distorting the outcome of this season's
championship of motorcycling's premium class.
"Valentino himself has recognised that he let himself get
dragged into provocation," Malagò said.
"Some of the responsibility is his, but I want to defend
him and not just for institutional reasons. I think that, in
this way, the world championship is being distorted".
Rossi, who is aiming for his 10th world title and his
eighth in the premium class, appeared to slow down and kicked
out during an intense dog fight with Marquez in Sepang and the
reigning world champion crashed out.
The Yamaha rider now faces a huge challenge to defend his
seven-point lead over his team mate Jorge Lorenzo, starting from
the back in the season's finale.
The run-up to the race had been marred by venom after
Rossi, 36, accused Honda rider Marquez of trying to hamper him
so his Spanish compatriot Marquez can win the title.
Given the circumstances, Rossi has said he may not take
part at the Valencia Race.
"Marquez wanted to decide the world title and he has
managed to," Rossi, who came third in Malaysia behind Lorenzo in
second in a race won by Dani Pedrosa, told Sky television.
"A bike doesn't fall due to a kick like mine. Marc fell
because he touched me with his right hand.
"I didn't want to knock him off, but I was up to here. I
just wanted to slow down to go wide".
Some media outlets, especially Spanish ones, suggested
Rossi kicking out at Marquez was the motorcycling equivalent of
former France great Zinedine Zidane's moment of madness when he
headbutted Italy's Marco Materazzi during the 2006 World Cup
final.
But many Italians are sticking up for Rossi, especially in
the light of footage that appears to show Marquez bang his
helmet into the Italian's leg before he reacted.
Malagò said the incident proved that Rossi's claims before
the race that Marquez wanted to scupper his title hope "were
absolutely true".
But the head of Italian sport also advised Rossi not to
snub the last race of the season.
"I understand his sorrow and anger... but I'd say he
should participate in order not to give an alibi and
satisfaction to the people who created this problem".
Ernesto Carbone and Stefano Esposito, lawmakers for
Premier Matteo Renzi's centre-left Democratic Party (PD),
supported Rossi via Twitter with posts carrying the hashtag
#iostoconVale (#i'mwithVale).
Materazzi and Italy's 2006 World Cup-winning coach
Marcello Lippi also came out on his side.
"There are men and there are little children," Materazzi
commented on social media with the hashtag #difendiamoVale46
(#let'sdefendVale46) along with the video showing Marquez's
helmet touching Rossi.
Lippi told RAI radio that Rossi had "fallen into a trap"
adding that "as always, a great champion generates great envy".
Paolo Rossi, the top scorer in Italy's 1982 World
Cup-winning campaign in Spain, said Rossi should do what his
Azzurri side did and show the Spaniards who is best on their own
territory.
"Now Valentino must look ahead. He may be able to give an
extraordinary performance and show he's the greatest of all,"
the former striker told ANSA.
Marquez said Rossi's actions deserved a red card while
Lorenzo complained that punishment was not strict enough,
bemoaning the fact that the Italian has kept his points from his
third place finish and remained top of the standings.
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