Monkey artwork condemned by AC Milan and Roma

AC Milan say they "strongly disagree" with and were not consulted about the use of monkeys in artwork for a Serie A anti-racism campaign.

The 'No To Racism' posters show three monkeys with painted faces.

It comes less than three weeks after clubs pledged to combat Italian football's "serious problem".

"Art can be powerful, but we strongly disagree with the use of monkeys as images in the fight against racism," said an AC Milan statement.

The club added they were "surprised by the total lack of consultation" over the artwork, which will be displayed at Serie A headquarters in Milan.

AS Roma also expressed their "surprise", adding: "We understand the league wants to tackle racism but we don't believe this is the right way to do it."

Art can be powerful, but we strongly disagree with the use of monkeys as images in the fight against racism and were surprised by the total lack of consultation.

Former Premier League defender Sylvain Distin says he does not understand "how you can fight racism with something that looks like racism".

"It just doesn't make any sense to me, to the point that I went and tried to read as many interviews with the artist as I could," Distin told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"It's true that he did a lot of portraits and painting and art around monkeys for five or six years and, from what the artist was saying, it was just his way to say that we are all monkeys - but it just doesn't look right.

"I just really don't get it. Are they trying to make things so big that all the little incidents that happen every weekend in Italy just look normal? I don't understand what they expect, what kind of reaction do you expect with this kind of act? I just don't get it, I don't see the point."

At a news conference on Monday, artist Simone Fugazzotto, who always uses monkeys in his work, said: "For an artist there is nothing more important than trying to change the perception of things through his own work.

"I decided to portray monkeys to talk about racism because they are the metaphor for human beings. Last year I was at the stadium to see Inter v Napoli [a match in which Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly was racially abused] and I felt humiliated, everyone was shouting 'monkey' at Koulibaly, a player I respect.

"I've always been painting monkeys for five to six years, so I thought I'd make this work to teach that we're all apes. I made the western monkey with blue and white eyes, the Asian monkey with almond-shaped eyes and the black monkey positioned in the centre, where everything comes from.

"The monkey becomes the spark to teach everyone that there is no difference, there is no man or monkey, we are all alike. If anything we are all monkeys."