I don't think Italy understands racism. Its like they took something serious and turned it into a joke although they may have not meant to do so. I saw the picture when I was scrolling through Twitter and I honestly thought it was a teaser for a new Planet of the Apes.
On a side note, I think art and football are like oil and water. They can't do sculptures right, they cant do campaign art right and god knows what else (oh I know ... logo rebranding). Would it have hurt to just have a white banner with "SAY NO TO RACISM" on it versus a picture which can be misinterpreted? He may have done it to gain publicity too. If you're a player in a foreign country thinking about a move I guarantee you that Italy is the last place you want to go now and rightfully so, fuck them and fuck racism.