Italian club fires youth coach for derogatory post about Greta Thunberg

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Fourth-tier Italian club Grosseto fired youth coach Tommaso Casalini this week after he called 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg a "whore" on Facebook.

"This whore! A 16-year-old can take a pounding - she's at the right age," Casalini wrote, as translated by Football Italia. He has since deleted the post.

The Serie D outfit responded by dismissing Casalini, who had served as an assistant for the club's Giovanissimi A team. Grosseto said in a statement that he was let go for "not acting in line with the club, who focus on moral values ​​even more than technical values."

Casalini later issued an apology to Thunberg, who has gained international recognition for her stance on climate change.

"It was an outburst written in a moment of anger against the young Swedish activist with absolutely the wrong language and content I regret," he told Grosseto Sport.

"I never thought or could never have really thought about certain things, especially a minor. However, when you make a mistake then it's only right that you take responsibility for your mistakes."