Inter player Romelu Lukaku was racially insulted by Juventus fans during the first semi-final match of the Italian Cup, his media representatives announced today.
The incident occurred after Lukaku scored the tying goal from the penalty spot in the fifth minute of stoppage time, and celebrated the goal in front of the black and white fans. He was sent off with a second yellow card for putting his index finger to his lips and telling the fans to be quiet.
Michael Yormark, president of the sports management agency that represents Lukaku, strongly condemned the racist insults directed at the Belgian footballer. He called for an apology from Juventus and for Italian authorities to use the opportunity to fight racism, rather than punishing the victim.
Videos posted on social networks show racial insults directed at Lukaku during the match. The Italian league has called for the “removal of racists from the stadium” and has strongly condemned any form of racism and discrimination. They emphasized that the clubs must identify the culprits and ban them from entering the stadiums.
Italy has had many problems with racism and anti-Semitism in stadiums in recent years, and clubs have been fined and closed for fans’ behavior. The incident involving Lukaku highlights the ongoing issue of racism in football and the need for continued efforts to combat it.
