Italy is still sick of the behavior of its supporters. Incidents for racial slurs or monkey screams are legion. It happened again this Tuesday evening in Turin, at the Allianz Stadium during the first leg of the semi-final between Juventus Turin and Inter Milan.
Except that the victim, the Belgian striker of Inter Romelu Lukaku, found himself doubly sanctioned. Entering the game in the 69th minute in place Dzeko, the international of Congolese origin was taken to task by Juve supporters who chanted monkey cries towards him, like some videos published after the meeting and coming forums confirm it.
When, in stoppage time, Lukaku is offered the goal of equalization on penalty, the newcomer rushes and deceives with an unstoppable counter-foot the goalkeeper of Juve, Perin. As usual, the Belgian celebrates his goal by putting his right hand on his forehead and the index finger of his left hand on his mouth in the direction of the tribune.
A gesture that has obviously not grasped its true value, the referee of the meeting Mr. Massa, who sends a second warning to Lukaku, synonymous with expulsion.
His agent asks for an apology
This sanction caused an avalanche consequence. Scuffles ensued between players from two teams. After long minutes of tension, the game resumed for a few seconds before the referee whistled the end of the game. Incidents then resumed between the two teams, causing the expulsion of two players, one from each side, the Colombian of Juve Cuadrado, who had opened the scoring in the 83rd minute, and the Slovenian goalkeeper of Inter, Handanovic.
At the microphone of Mediaset, Simone Inzaghi, the coach of Inter Milan, deplored the expulsion of his player: “Lukaku was misunderstood. He always celebrates like that. This caused a tumult which was not pleasant to see, and which will deprive us of two fundamental players on the return. And half-acknowledges the racist cries of which Lukaku was the victim: “Yes, there was something. I see a player who scores, applauds as he always does and then everything we have seen is happening now. »
And the matter does not end there. This decision provoked the ire of many supporters on social networks, as well as that of Michael Yormark, the boss of the agent company Roc Nations Sports, which represents the Belgian player, split a press release in which he is demanding an apology from Juventus Turin and sanctions from the authorities for “hostile and disgusting racist abuse”.
“Racist remarks towards Romelu Lukaku from Juventus supporters are more than despicable and cannot be accepted,” he explains. Before, during and after the penalty, he was the victim of hostile and disgusting racist insults. He celebrated the same way he had already celebrated goals.
The meeting was not broadcast in France because no broadcaster had acquired the TV rights to the Italian Cup. The return match will take place in a fortnight, Wednesday April 26 at Stadio Giuseppe-Meazza.
