Italian fans must be taken to task for directing abusive chants at footballer Romelu Lukaku
Romelu Lukaku’s management company has reacted with outrage after the Inter Milan forward was shown a second yellow card and then sent off for a gesture toward Juventus fans who directed racist chants at him. The incident occurred after he converted a penalty in stoppage time to earn Inter a 1-1 draw in the Italian Cup semifinals on Tuesday. Lukaku held his finger to his lips as if to silence the crowd after scoring. This enraged the opposing team and the game ended in a scuffle between the teams, with Juventus winger Juan Cuadrado and Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic also sent off. “The racist remarks against Lukaku in Turin were beyond despicable and cannot be accepted,” Roc Nation Sports International president Michael Yormark said. Before, during, and after the penalty, he was subjected to hostile and disgusting racist abuse, he said. Romelu celebrated in the same manner he has previously celebrated goals but the referee’s response was to show him a yellow card. Romelu deserves an apology from Juventus, and the league should condemn the behaviour of this group of fans, Yormark said, adding that the Italian authorities must use this opportunity to tackle racism, rather than punish the victim of the abuse.
Lukaku, who is Black, has been subjected to racist chants on numerous occasions during his two stints at Inter. The player, who is on loan from Chelsea, was previously targeted by Cagliari fans in 2019, which went unpunished. “History repeats… Been through it in 2019 … and 2023 again,” He wrote on Instagram. “I hope the league really takes action for real this time because this beautiful game should be enjoyed by everyone.” The Italian league issued a statement in which Lukaku was not named but said it strongly condemns every episode of racism and every form of discrimination. A few people in the stands cannot ruin the show and don’t represent the thoughts of all fans, it said. The league judge is likely to open a disciplinary case into the matter even as Juventus said it would collaborate with the authorities to identify those responsible.
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said soccer bodies and clubs could push for criminal prosecutions. Although Ceferin did not specify any case, Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior, who is Black, has been abused at Spanish league games this season. Ceferin said soccer is an inclusive sport, which is open to everyone. Unfortunately, some people have still not grasped this concept, which is why we’re going to have to rethink our approach. In cooperation with the federations and the clubs, we need to target offenders more effectively whenever a player is subjected to racist, homophobic or sexist insults during UEFA competitions, he said. UEFA disciplinary rules hold clubs and national federations responsible for racist and offensive conduct by fans at European competition games. Sanctions for clubs and federations are typically fines and closing a section of a stadium for future games. They are then responsible for imposing bans from the stadium for their own fans.
Racism in football has been allowed to continue for far too long, and needs to be tackled with urgency and determination. For this, it is essential that clubs, players, fans, and governing bodies work together. Clubs should have clear and transparent policies to address any incidents, and must take swift and decisive action. Players should be empowered to speak out against racism and should be supported by their clubs and governing bodies. They must, in turn, ensure that all incidents are investigated thoroughly and appropriate sanctions are imposed. This includes fines, stadium bans, and expulsion of clubs from competitions. Fans also have a significant role to play; they need to understand that any form of racism, whether verbal abuse or physical violence, is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. This requires education and awareness campaigns aimed at changing attitudes and behaviours. For this, it is essential that we have open and honest conversations about racism in football and society as a whole. This requires us to confront our own biases and prejudices and be willing to listen and learn from those who have experienced racism to eradicate it from society.