You might recall a couple of weeks ago we ran a comment about a certain Inter Milan kit that boasted a design not dissimilar to the English flag, and looked a lot like, well, the sharp get-up the Knights Templar wore during the Crusades.
It seems that our eyebrows were not the only ones raised by this, as now word reaches us that a Turkish lawyer, Baris Kaska, took exception to the “Crusader-style” cross branded on the shirts, which he said symbolised “western racist superiority over Islam.” Now call me a cynic but this smacks of slightly sour grapes, as he is not only seeking personal damages from the Italian club, but has also appealed to UEFA to annul the match in question (against Fenerbahce) which Inter won 3 – 0. Quite why though is beyond me, as Fenerbahce also qualified from the group stage of the Champions League this week. The somewhat hyperbolic justification for his complaint is as follows: “It made me think immediately of the bloody days of the past. While I was watching the game, I felt profound grief in my soul.”
Inter are understandably "astounded" at the controversy, and have pointed out that a red cross on a white background is the symbol of the city of Milan, displayed only to mark their centenary, and that many other Italian football clubs have incorporated the cross into their shirt design.
Perhaps he has a case though, and if successful, this case could prove a vital precedent for future whinging. For example, following England’s humiliating loss against Croatia in the European Championship qualifiers, I too was filled with a “profound grief in my soul,” offended so by the Croatian’s insensitive kit. The blue shirt, with red and white check details, was a clear reminder of Princess Diana’s tragic death in Paris ten years ago, and as a result, I myself was unable to concentrate on the game. This was a callous stab at the heart’s of this great nation, and without doubt, the result should be cancelled…no, not even cancelled actually, but reversed altogether! I demand satisfaction!
There is maybe an ulterior motive behind this complaint however. As Christmas approaches, video games are flying off the shelves like they’re worth their weight in gold, and just recently has seen the release of a certain Crusades-based action game for the X-Box 360, Assassin’s Creed. In this game you play a nice young bruiser who is set the task of icing nine Knights Templar in and around period Jerusalem. They even wear the Inter Milan shirt in question, coincidence????
p.s. we don’t normally whore ourselves out, but since Ubisoft have absolutely no connection with STT we feel that ethically it’s ok to advertise on their behalf. Also, the game is crazy good
