Surprise: Triesman had FA president Prince William on his right and Gianfranco Fini (not pictured), the fascist sympathising heir to Mussolini on his left in RomeMail Online
29th May 2009
FA chairman Lord Triesman, who has attracted controversy ever since arriving at Soho Square, was involved in another political incident at the Champions League final in Rome when he was seated next to Italy's former leader of the Fascist party.
The FA were very surprised to find that Triesman had FA president Prince William on his right and Gianfranco Fini, the fascist sympathising heir to Benito Mussolini on his left in the front row of UEFA's VIP area in the Stadio Olimpico - especially as Fini had not been included in the original seating plan for the prime seats.
But UEFA had received a last-minute request from the protocol office of the Italian Government requesting Fini be given as prominent a position as Italian PM Silvo Berlusconi at the match, due to Fini's senior political status as president of the Italian chamber of Deputies.
The reshuffle resulted in the British ambassador in Rome, FIFA vice-president Geoff Thompson and Manchester United chief executive David Gill all having to move.
Triesman had no say in his new seating companion although as a former member of the Communist party he used to have equally extreme views from the opposing side of the political spectrum.
A UEFA spokesman said: 'There was no intention to cause embarrassment, it was purely a protocol matter.'
The hoo-ha follows the FA having to apologise for the London assembly's BNP representative Richard Barnbrook attending the 2018 World Cup bid launch.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/article-1189276/CHARLES-SALES-SPORTS-AGENDA-FA-chief-Lord-Triesman-heir-Mussolini.html
