Internazionale and management of Romelu Lukaku have issued a statement after the racist treatment that the Internazionale striker had to endure on Tuesday during the cup match with Juventus.
After Lukaku management, Inter also comes with a statement after ‘disgusting racism’
“We want to strongly reiterate our unity against racism and all forms of discrimination,” Inter wrote on the club’s website. “Football and sport should not only be a beacon of emotions, but also of clear and shared values, which have nothing to do with what we saw last night in the last minutes of the Coppa Italia semi-final in Turin. Therefore, we reiterate all our support, our affection and our solidarity with Romelu Lukaku, as the football world is doing in many places during these hours.”
After the match, Inter coach Simone Inzaghi already stated that Lukaku’s cheering was misinterpreted by the referee who gave the striker a second yellow card.
Earlier, Lukaku’s management made itself heard via Twitter. “The racist remarks made by the Juventus fans against Romelu Lukaku tonight in Turin were beyond reprehensible and cannot be accepted,” Roc Nation said in a statement. “Romelu scored a penalty late in the game. Before, during and after the penalty he received hostile and disgusting racial insults.”
Management also called Serie A to order. Romelu celebrated in the same way he celebrated goals before. The referee responded with a yellow card for Romelu. “Romelu deserves an apology from Juventus,. And I expect the association to immediately condemn the behavior of this group of Juventus supporters. The Italian authorities should seize this opportunity to address racism, rather than punish the victim of the abuse. I’m sure the football world feels the same way,” the statement read.
Juventus issued a response to the official club channels
Juventus issued a response to the official club channels on Wednesday afternoon. They mentioned, “As always, the club is working with the police. To identify those responsible for last night’s racist gestures and chanting.”
Due to Lukaku’s late goal, Inter and Juventus start again at zero in the return match. It will be played on April 26 in Milan.
Italy is more often startled by racist actions in football. For example, Samuel Umtiti fell victim to racism during the Serie A match between Lecce and Lazio in January, and names such as Kalidou Kalibaly and Mario Balotelli were the object of interest in a more distant past.
