Romelu Lukaku has been suspended from Inter’s Coppa Italia semi-final match against Juventus next week and the club has released an official statement condemning the punishment.
A few weeks back, the Inter Milan forward was a victim of racial abuse from Juventus fans during the first leg of the Coppa Italia game. The incident led to the sending off of the Belgian forward during the game.
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The club posted a brief statement on their official website, highlighting the fact that the 29-year-old Belgian international is the only one to have faced any consequences despite being the primary victim of stadium fan racism.
Lukaku out of the second leg semi-final against Juventus
As a result of receiving a suspension for receiving two yellow cards during the first leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final earlier this month, Lukaku will miss the second leg against Juventus next Wednesday.
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According to Inter, the booking was controversially given as he celebrated in front of a group of Bianconeri fans who were yelling racist slurs at him.
Given the situation, the Nerazzurri decided to appeal the ruling, partially to make a statement against racism in football. However, the club’s appeal failed, and the Italian FA confirmed that Lukaku will not be available for Wednesday’s match.
The victim has become the only guilty party
With the Verdict given, this implies that the Belgian is the only individual who has faced any serious repercussions as a result of the incident.
The club has now stated that the decision was unfair to Lukaku given the fact that he was racially abused and that the victim has become the only guilty party.
An official statement from Italian FA says, “The FIGC’s National Court of Appeal today confirmed the suspension of Romelu Lukaku, who will be unable to participate in Wednesday’s Coppa Italia semi-final.”
The club also released a statement saying, “FC Internazionale Milano feels it must consolidate its support for the player and expresses great sorrow at the fact that the victim has become the only guilty party.”