Who’s Mariah Carey? Italian journalists to strike after commentator’s blunders at opening ceremony | EUROtoday

Misidentifying Mariah Carey. Mistaking the Olympics’ prime boss for the Italian president’s daughter. Confusing the placement of the opening ceremony. These gaffes on the Milan Cortina Winter Games by a prime Italian broadcaster’s commentator so completely embarrassed its workers that they are going on strike.

Journalists from RaiSport introduced on Monday that they had been adopting protest measures — together with strikes after the Games finish — following RaiSport director Paolo Petrecca’s blunder-strewn commentary on Friday.

The channel is a part of Rai, the Italian state-owned community that’s broadcasting free-to-air protection of its house Games.

A spokesperson for the broadcaster informed The Associated Press that Petrecca has been faraway from the commentary workforce for the Feb. 22 closing ceremony after a gathering on Monday afternoon with Rai CEO Giampaolo Rossi.

One blunder after one other

First amongst Petrecca’s many errors, he welcomed viewers to the “Stadio Olimpico” (In English, “Olympic Stadium”), the title of an enormous area in Rome. In truth, he was standing inside the long-lasting San Siro, identified throughout Italy as the house to legendary soccer golf equipment Inter Milan and AC Milan.

“The show continues with Mariah Carey,” he stated because the digital camera locked onto Italian actress Matilda De Angelis, who is understood all through the nation. Carey is greater than 25 years older than her, and a world famous person. (De Angelis has since posted photographs of the ceremony to Instagram with the caption: “Please, call me Mariah.”)

And when Italian President Sergio Mattarella walked into the stadium with International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry, Petrecca introduced “Mattarella … and his daughter.”

The channel’s Comitato di Redazione — the interior union physique that represents its journalists — issued an announcement on Monday that each one reporters and commentators would withhold their bylines till the tip of the Winter Olympics, and that there can be three days of strikes after the Games.

“We have all been embarrassed, no one excluded, and through no fault of our own,” learn the assertion. “It is time to make our voices heard because we are facing the worst-ever figure of RaiSport in one of the most eagerly awaited events ever.”

Petrecca wasn’t speculated to commentate on the opening ceremony, however determined to interchange Auro Bulbarelli, who eliminated himself from the workforce after spoiling what was meant to be the shock arrival of Mattarella aboard one of many metropolis’s traditional orange trams, pushed by former bike racer Valentino Rossi.

Service error

Among his different errors throughout Friday’s commentary was evidently failing to acknowledge Italy’s female and male volleyball groups. Both are world champions, and the ladies are additionally the reigning Olympic champions. Representatives from each carried the Olympic flame towards the tip of the ceremony.

Petrecca named solely one of many ladies, whereas referring to the remaining 5 champions as “other torchbearers.”

“Thanks to the commentators,” males’s captain Simone Giannelli commented on a put up on Instagram, adopted by three laughing-crying emojis.

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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics