Sports · Tennis · 7 hrs ago
Tennis coach says he received death threat while coaching Bolelli
Tennis coach Claudio Pistolesi says he received a death threat in 2008 while coaching Italian player Simone Bolelli.
An anonymous letter sent to Pistolesi’s home in Rome included a drawing of a coffin and a threat, he said.
He took it to the Carabinieri, Italy’s national police, but the complaint against unknown people led nowhere.
Pistolesi said the letter was mailed from Brescia and may have been linked to Bolelli’s losses, though he did not know who sent it.
He said Bolelli also told him he felt persecuted at the time.
Pistolesi says online abuse of Flavio Cobolli shows the problem continues, after Cobolli received insults from bettors following a loss at the Shanghai Masters.
Pistolesi hopes Cobolli’s complaint will matter for players at all levels, and says technology should be used to identify and pursue those sending abuse.
Tennis coach Claudio Pistolesi said he received a death threat by post while coaching Simone Bolelli.
He said the letter arrived at his home in Rome and included a drawing of a coffin and the message, “You’ll end up in here, you’re disgusting.”
Pistolesi said he reported the letter to the Carabinieri, but the complaint against unknown people led nowhere.
He said the letter had been posted from Brescia and that he believed it was linked to Bolelli’s losses.
Pistolesi’s account came as he criticized abuse directed at tennis player Flavio Cobolli by online bettors.
- Who
- Claudio Pistolesi, who was coaching Simone Bolelli at the time.
- What
- Pistolesi said he received a letter containing a death threat and a drawing of a coffin.
- When
- 2008, according to TennisTalker Magazine.
- Where
- At Pistolesi’s home in Rome; the letter had been posted from Brescia.
- Why
- Pistolesi believed the threat was linked to Bolelli’s losses.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Pistolesi’s coaching collaboration with Bolelli began, according to TennisTalker Magazine.
Pistolesi said he received a letter with a death threat while coaching Bolelli.
Pistolesi said he took it to the Carabinieri and filed a complaint against unknown people.
Bolelli reached number 36 in the ATP rankings, according to TennisTalker Magazine.
Pistolesi discussed the letter and online abuse of Flavio Cobolli in an interview with Fanpage.it.
- Coach
- Claudio Pistolesi
- Player
- Simone Bolelli
- Threat letter
- A drawing of a coffin and the words “You’ll end up in here, you’re disgusting
- Letter origin
- Posted from Brescia
- Reported destination
- Pistolesi’s home in Rome
- Complaint
- Filed against unknown people; Pistolesi said it led nowhere
3 sources
"Allenavo Bolelli e mi inviarono una lettera con una bara: 'Tu finirai qua dentro, fai schifo'": così Claudio Pistolesi
Claudio Pistolesi racconta le intimidazioni ricevute nel 2008
Claudio Pistolesi: "Il caso di Cobolli è il male del tennis. Allenavo Bolelli e mi inviarono una lettera con una bara"
What people are saying
You’ll end up in here, you’re disgusting
I hope Flavio quickly puts these criminal situations behind him.
It doesn’t matter how much money you have; if you suffer, if you feel attacked, if you feel persecuted, it makes no difference, you are still a human being.