The Italian football world has been shocked by the death of Seid Visin. The lifeless body of 20-year-old Veisin was found Friday in his own home. A suicide note was also found, in which the former AC Milan youth player writes about his experiences with racism. Visin noticed more and more hatred and envy of others and it destroyed him.
Visin was born in Ethiopia in September 2000 and was adopted by an Italian family in Nocera Inferiore. He moved to Milan to play in the AC Milan youth academy. At the time, he was good friends with Gianluigi Donnarumma, with whom he shared a room. Visin later also played for Benevento, but retired from football in 2016 and returned to Nocera Inferiore. He started working in the hospitality industry, but some customers were not eager to be served by Visin.
“Wherever I go, wherever I am, I feel the heaviness of the skeptical, biased, disgusted and fearful looks,” the former youth player wrote. Corriere della Sera in his suicide note. “I am not an immigrant; I was adopted as a child and I remember that everyone loved me. Wherever I went, people liked to talk to me, showed respect and were curious. Now everything seems different. I found a new job, but I left because too many people, especially the elderly, didn’t want to be served by me.”
“As if that wasn’t enough, they said I was responsible for the fact that many young white Italians can’t find a job. Something in me changed. I was ashamed to be black, just like I was afraid to be seen.” become like an immigrant. It felt like I had to prove to people I didn’t know that I was just like them: Italian and white,” the letter reads. “I made bad jokes about black people to show that I was like them. But that was mostly fear. Fear of the hatred I saw in people’s eyes, when they looked at immigrants. I don’t want people to feel sorry for them.” with me. The hardships I’ve been through are just a drop in the ocean of all the people who would rather die than endure suffering in hell.”
Visin’s death and his suicide note have caused a shock wave in the Italian football world. Donnarumma tells to ANSA that he immediately clicked with Visin at Milan. “We were together in the room of the boarding school in Milan. It’s been a few years, but I will never forget Seid’s laughter and joy in life. He was a friend of mine.” A reaction from Claudio Marchisio on Instagram is also very impressive. The former Juventus midfielder believes Visin’s death shows that Italy has failed as a country. “We are the country of integration if you are a young talent or score in an important game, but also the country where people refuse to be served by a black person in a restaurant.”
“We are the country of integration when you win a medal at the Olympics. We are the country of integration when we look for distant family ties to Italy when an actress wins an Oscar, but also the country of disapproving looks when a black kid is in your kid’s class I can’t imagine what Seid Visin must have felt but I do know one thing for sure: a country that pushes a boy this far is a country that has failed Remember this when you making stupid jokes or making stupid and cynical statements about refugees on inflatable boats or about skin color, especially on social media. We have all failed. Left, right and center,” said Marchisio.