Whitecaps Fan Spat at by Montreal Impact Captain

Nevio Pizzolitto, captain of the Montreal Impact

Arguably, it's the fans which keep football/soccer alive. The thousands which pack stadiums, the millions which watch on their TV, they are the ones which keep this game running. Not only is it the ticket sales and the merchandise bought, but it's also the passion and the love which fuels the players to play their best.

When Nevio Pizzolitto decided to spit on a Whitecaps fan's face, he violated a multitude of barriers. Of course, Mr. Pizzolitto might have had his reasons, but they don't seem very good ones. A group of Whitecaps fans were standing and chanting under the walkway which the defeated Montreal Impact players walked across. The players had just lost to the Vancouver Whitecaps, and were now knocked out of the Nutrilite Canadian Championship.

As the fans chanted "Au Revoir", the captain of the Montreal Impact looked at Caps fan Ashley Perry and spat at him in the face. Yes, you read correctly. The captain of the Montreal Impact decided to spit on a fan's face because they were chanting "goodbye" to him in French. It's a ridiculous insult to fans, and the professionalism that a player should carry with himself at all times.

Ashley Perry, the creator of ChampionsLeague.ca said this about the incident:

“Before I even knew it, I had a large amount of spit on my face … without going into too much detail on something that disgusting. It was instant shock. That’s a pretty low thing to do to someone in any capacity, let alone from a professional football player. What I’m most surprised and shocked about is the fact that there is no contact from the club. There have been no apologies to this date or even an attempt to apologize, absolutely nothing.”

Now, Nevio will have to deal with the results of his actions. This Monday, June 27th there will be a disciplinary hearing in Edmonton. The matter is in the hands of the Canadian Soccer Association, and hopefully we'll see something done about this. When I say, "something done about this" I hope that Nevio Pizzolitto apologizes to Ashley, because spitting in someone's face is just about the rudest thing you can do without laying your hands on them.

I don't think there's any excuse for Pizzolitto's behaviour. While he may have been angry for having lost, and unhappy to hear some fans chant "Au Revoir", that's no excuse to lose your cool and spit in a fans face. After all, without the fans there would have been no point to the game. It would be like me spitting in the face of my readers of this blog. The sad part is, Nevio Pizzolitto is paid to play soccer, and he spat in the face of the people who paid to go see him (among other players). It's unacceptable.


If you're interested in reading more about this incident, I suggest you check out this article which goes into greater detail. What are your thoughts regarding this? Share them in the comments below!