Alberto Re takes life following intense mockery over the festival's failure

Alberto Re, co-organizer of the 43rd International Festival of Sports Films, held at the Pirandello Theatre in Agrigento, Sicily, suffered an unfortunate fate after the festival was overlooked for an Italy-Ukraine football match. Following intense mockery from netizens, the 78-year-old took his own life.

The Italy-Ukraine match was no ordinary game, but a battle for national team qualification for the upcoming European Championships. In coincidence, the screening of "William & Mansell", the story of a Formula 1 champion, was scheduled for the opening day of the festival. Not a single seat was filled, not even by the city's mayor, Francesco Micciche, or the city councilor for culture, Costantino Ciulli. It appeared that the football match was of greater significance to everyone.

The festival's flop turned Alberto Re into a laughing stock in the media and among netizens. He was criticized fiercely in the press and on social media for the event's failure. Unable to withstand this assault, the 78-year-old committed suicide at his home on Thursday.

A letter was secured by the police, in which Re expressed his distress about being the target of media and internet ridicule.

Alberto Re never shied away from intellectual honesty, always listened to criticism with a smile, acknowledging the potential for mishaps. Until now - his relatives wrote in a statement.

The prefect of Agrigento, Filippo Romano, had plans to honor Re. On Sunday, he extended invites to the mayors of nine finalist cities of the Italian Capital of Culture 2025 competition to the Pirandello Theater to commemorate the tragic loss of the 78-year-old.

This is a mark of respect for the memory of poor Alberto Re, the victim of a slanderous campaign that drove him to this extreme, sad step. The campaign, where legitimate political and journalistic criticism transcended human decency. We, in various administrative roles, must prevent a repetition of such atrocities - Prefect Romano wrote.

The Italy-Ukraine match ended with a 0:0 draw, but it granted Italy a pass to the championships. The question remains: was it worth prioritizing a football match over a cultural event that profoundly mattered to Alberto Re? And even if it was, was the subsequent online mockery of him necessary?