March 28, 2024

Lukaku, the racist buu then the jubilation, the expulsion and the fight

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The Nerazzurri bomber was the star of the Italian derby final with the 1-1 goal and the red card that will cost him the second leg in the semis. The federal prosecutor’s office could intervene against him after the racist chants

It was a crazy night for Romelu Lukaku. He had started the Italian derby on the bench but still found a way to be the absolute protagonist, first converting the penalty that sealed the final tie and then being sent off for a second yellow card. The second yellow card for the jubilation under the Juventus curve, a military salute with the right hand and the index finger of the left hand in front of the mouth to ask for silence. He had already celebrated with the Belgian jersey after the goal against Sweden. Back then it was a message to his injured friend Doku, but also (and above all) to his critics. A kind of “I’ll go my way despite everything you say about me”. Last night, this “silence” was also aimed at those who insulted him with Buu and other racist remarks.

CONTROVERSY AND BUU

Lukaku, who missed two goals against Fiorentina, immediately wanted to redeem himself and he did. Looking ahead to the end of the season and in particular the Champions League quarter-finals next Tuesday and Wednesday 19th, he sent out an important message: he wasn’t as brilliant as in the two games against Belgium, but he was still a crucial result , so as not to start the second leg of the 26ers from a disadvantaged position. The evening at the Allianz Stadion will not only be remembered for the cold penalty (replaced Szczesny) though: before and after the 1-1 draw there were seconds of real tension that the giant would have gladly done without. It all started when he committed a bookable foul (taken immediately) on Gatti to try and win back a ball. At that moment he was “caught” by the curve where the hottest Juventus fans were returning. Then the penalty kick, preceded and followed by the racist bullies, but also the fight sparked by the intervention of Perin, Cuadrado and other Juventus players. “Stupid,” Big Rom yelled twice, looking at someone around the corner while his companions hugged him. A signal that the striker heard something he didn’t like at all: in the dressing room and to those responsible he spoke of a mixture of racist insults and bullshit. The buu can also be heard in some videos circulating on the internet. Now it remains to be seen whether the men from the federal prosecutor’s office put them on the game report sheet or whether the sports judge may be demanding a thorough investigation. In fact, the case has already exploded internationally (just look to foreign sites to see it), and Michael Yorkmark, the president of Roc Nation, the agency that is representing Lukaku along with attorney Ledure, thundered on Instagram: ” Romelu deserves an apology from Juventus and I expect the league to condemn the behavior of his fans. The Italian authorities must use this episode to stop racism instead of punishing the victim”. Bianconeri Danilo and Perin instead focused their attention on the Belgian’s gesture: “He silenced our curve and the expulsion is right”, they said, while Inzaghi cited the precedent of Lookman’s celebration (and yellow card removal) in the hope his center forward won’t be disqualified, material for the sports judge and, who knows, federal prosecutors.

QUOTE SIX

Back on the pitch last night was Inter’s sixth goal of the season for the number 90, the ‘hardest’ together with that in the first leg of the last 16 against Porto. In the last two games with the Nerazzurri, Big Rom didn’t appear to be as on the ball as they were with Belgium at the break, but compared to the black injury streak he’s seeing some light now. In Salerno he hopes to score again and then repeat himself in Lisbon in the first leg of the quarterfinals. He wants to urge Inter to start negotiations with Chelsea in order to loan him back. He is not interested in who will sit on the Blues bench (or even on the Nerazzurri bench) next season: Romelu has chosen Milan as his place of residence and Inter as his team. Now he wants to prove that he can still be as decisive as he was in the year of the Scudetto. He still has meetings for that. Don’t expect a season finale from him… trivial. Torino’s austerity may have definitely reinvigorated Lukaku.

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