Several months later, in October 2000, Mihajlović raised a storm of controversy due to allegedly directing racist remarks at Arsenal's Patrick Vieira. The incident occurred during an ill-tempered Lazio vs Arsenal UEFA Champions League match on 17 October 2000 at Stadio Olimpico. Throughout the contest, Mihajlović had run-ins with several Arsenal players, including Martin Keown and Robert Pires. After the final whistle, Mihajlović and Vieira were seen trading insults and trying to get at one another physically before being restrained by teammates. After the match, Vieira spoke to the media, accusing Mihajlović of racist abuse, saying that Mihajlović had called him "nero di merda" (black piece of shit) or "fucking black monkey." Mihajlović subsequently apologized, but contended that his words were in retaliation to Vieira calling him a "zingaro di merda" (Gypsy piece of shit). Two months later, in December 2000, Mihajlović came under police investigation over the event for possibly violating an anti-racism law in Italy. Italian investigators planned on using Mihajlović's own post-game admission about insulting Vieira to file charges of violating a 1993 law that criminalizes the "spreading ... of ideas based on racial or ethnic superiority or hate", but no charges were made. Six years later Mihajlović and Vieira became part of the same team when the Senegalese-born Frenchman joined Inter where Mihajlović was already assistant to head coach Roberto Mancini. Vieira was later one of the guests for Mihajlović's testimonial match on 28 May 2007 in Novi Sad.
