Police Ban 171 Juventus Fans From Stadium For Racist Remarks Towards Romelu Lukaku

Following racial slurs directed at Inter Milan striker Romelu Lukaku, Turin police said on Monday that they had fined and expelled 171 Juventus supporters from their stadium.

Some Juventus supporters taunted Lukaku with “hostile and disgusting racist abuse” during the first leg of the Italian Cup semifinal between Juve and Inter Milan on April 4. His representation described the incident as such. Police in Turin reported “racist chants” that occurred during the semifinal in a brief statement. Both the fee information and the duration of the stadium restriction were left vague.

Juventus received a one-match stand closure penalty from the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) for the racist chanting of “the majority of fans” in that area, but that decision was overturned on appeal days later.

After receiving two yellow cards—the second for a goal celebration in front of Juventus supporters following his stoppage-time penalty that gave Inter a 1-1 draw—Lukaku was given a one-match suspension. The Belgian striker warned Juve supporters to “shut up” while pointing with his finger at his mouth.

However, the FIGC overturned the ban following a backlash, allowing Lukaku to participate in the second leg of the semi-final in Milan on Wednesday.

In 2021, after pleading guilty to posting racial insults about England players on the eve of the Euro finals in July, a British man was ordered to make restitution and adhere to a weekend curfew.

Black English players Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, and Bukayo Saka came under fire online after they missed their spot-kicks in the penalty shootout against Italy that decided the July 11 championship match after the game at Wembley ended in a stalemate.