Inter Milan have reportedly decided not to appeal the one-match ban handed to Romelu Lukaku. This means the club will miss his services in the second leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final against Juventus. Despite the decision the club intends to take action regarding the racist abuse he received.
The decision comes despite suggestions that the Belgian international’s ban could be overturned due to the mitigating circumstances surrounding his celebration after scoring a penalty in the first leg. This is as well as the racist abuse he received from some Juventus supporters.
Referee-designator Gianluca Rocchi has defended the decision to issue a second yellow card, meaning Inter are unlikely to pursue an appeal.
The club’s focus will be on the upcoming fixtures, with Inter looking to have Lukaku back at his best. However, the club will not be letting the matter of racist abuse go unnoticed, and expect action to be taken.
The incident involving Lukaku is not the first time such a situation has occurred in Italian football. In 2018, former Napoli and now Chelsea defender Kalidou Koulibaly was subject to racist abuse from Inter fans during a match at the San Siro. Koulibaly received a second yellow card and his suspension was upheld after litigation.
Inter were also punished with two matches behind closed doors.
While Inter are not appealing the ban, the situation has renewed attention to the issue of racism in Italian football. There is need for swift and decisive action to be taken to combat it.
