Former Manchester United player Romelu Lukaku has demanded football’s authorities and social media giants take action against racism after being subjected to abuse during a match in Italy.
Monkey chants could be heard during his new club Inter Milan’s 2-1 Serie A victory over Cagliari on Sunday as the striker scored the winning penalty in the 72nd minute.
Lukaku, 26, stood and stared at Cagliari fans behind the goal – where the chants had come from – after scoring.
The sport, he warned on Instagram, “shouldn’t accept any form of discrimination that will put our game in shame.
“I hope the football federations all over the world react strongly on all cases of discrimination!!!”
Twitter, Facebook and Instagram also need to do more, he added, as “everyday you see at least a racist comment under a post of a person of colour… we’ve been saying it for years and still no action.”
Inter manager Antonio Conte admitted after the game that “in general in Italy more education is needed”, but said he “really didn’t hear anything from the bench”.
The former Chelsea head coach added: “I have also heard [Lazio manager] (Carlo) Ancelotti complain about the constant insults received on certain pitches. When you are abroad there is more respect, the fans think only of supporting their team.”
Juventus midfielder Blaise Matuidi and the club’s former striker Moise Kean, who now plays for Everton, were also subjected to racist chanting from Cagliari supporters last season.
The Italian league’s disciplinary panel later decided not to take action against the club.
Lukaku – who joined Inter Milan from Manchester United this summer for £73m – is the latest in a series of high-profile players to be targeted this season.
Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma was subjected to racist abuse on Twitter after his own goal in Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Sheffield United over the weekend.
Last month his teammate, striker Tammy Abraham, was targeted after missing a penalty In Chelsea’s UEFA Super Cup defeat to Liverpool.
A number of Premier League and English Football League (EFL) players have had racist comments directed at them online since the 2019/20 campaign began, including Manchester United’s Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford and Derby County’s Duane Holmes.
https://www.lbc.co.uk/news/world/romelu-lukaku-former-manchester-united-player/