Racism stays prevalent in Italian soccer and Romelu Lukaku was the newest to face abuse throughout Inter’s Coppa Italia semi-final second leg in opposition to Juventus on Tuesday evening.
It isn’t the primary time the Belgian striker has been focused by racists whereas plying his commerce in Italy, and others, together with Moise Kean and Samuel Umtiti, have suffered related abuse lately. In September 2019, Lukaku mentioned soccer was “going backwards” in combatting racism.
It is a difficulty rooted within the Italian sport, and one which seemingly will not go away.
Nonetheless, Lukaku was gifted a superb alternative to hush his abusers when Inter had been fairly actually handed a late penalty by Juventus defender Gleison Bremer.
It hasn’t fairly been the fairytale return to Inter for Lukaku. Accidents have restricted his availability and efficacy, and he’d scored simply 5 objectives in 20 appearances earlier than Tuesday’s Coppa Italia tie.
Inter trailed heading into the closing phases due to Juan Cuadrado’s late strike earlier than Bremer’s inexplicable handball gave Lukaku the prospect to equalise from the spot.
The Belgian despatched Mattia Perin the incorrect approach together with his effort earlier than stopping in his tracks, standing nonetheless, placing a finger to his lips, and saluting the house crowd behind the aim. As his teammates crowded over him, a couple of phrases had been uttered in direction of these within the stands.
The rationale for his celebration turned clear post-match as his representatives, Roc Nation Sports activities Worldwide, revealed that the striker had been racially abused all through the match.
“Romelu scored a penalty within the sport. Earlier than, throughout and after the penalty, he was subjected to hostile and disgusting racist abuse,” Michael Yormark, president of Roc Nation, said in a statement.
Lukaku, who was booked within the eightieth minute for a foul on Federico Gatti, curiously obtained a second yellow card from referee Davide Massa for his celebration in direction of the racist group of Juventus supporters.
It wasn’t the final pink card dished out by Massa on Tuesday evening as a brawl broke out between each units of gamers after the full-time whistle. Goalscorer Cuadrado and Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic engaged in a bodily altercation, with the Colombian showing to punch the Slovenian, and each had been despatched off because of this.
