Italian player accused of paying for racist and sexual audios

Italian left-back Matteo Ruggeri, from Atlético de Madrid, became the target of criticism on social media after the leak of alleged private conversations in which he had paid a woman to receive audio messages with racist and sexual content.

According to accusations circulating online, Ruggeri allegedly made several payments of 150 euros through Instagram so that the woman could send recordings with insults directed at the black population and other minorities.

The messages attributed to the player quickly went viral and caused a strong response among fans and internet users. In one of the alleged conversations, Ruggeri allegedly asked the woman if she would mind if he masturbated while listening to the audios. In another, he would have asked her to say she was racist and to insult black people. Recordings are also circulating in which the athlete allegedly sends sexual audio.

The repercussions increased pressure on the 23-year-old player and on Atlético de Madrid. To date, however, neither the Spanish club nor Ruggeri have released any official position on the case.

Ruggeri was signed by Atlético de Madrid at the start of the 2025/26 season, after leaving Atalanta in a transfer valued at 17 million euros. Recently, the full-back also had his name speculated as a possible reinforcement for Roma, where he could return to work with coach Gian Piero Gasperini.

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Source: CNN