Juventus and Inter drew 1-1 in the first leg of the Coppa Italia's semifinal in Turin on Tuesday in a game that ended with a ton of drama as striker Romelu Lukaku was sent off after quieting fans who targeted him with racial abuse. The two teams will face each other again on April 26 at the San Siro to know who will play against the winner of the other semifinal between Cremonese and Fiorentina.
Juventus and Inter played a very similar game, a very tactical clash with few chances created overall. However, things changed in the second half as the home side scored the opening goal with Juan Cuadrado and the match seemed to be over until Brazilian defender Bremer conceded a penalty for a handball in the final minute of the game. That's where the crazy scenes started. Lukaku converted from the spot, and then the red cards were given out like candy with a total of three being shown.
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The Belgian striker celebrated by putting his finger in front of his mouth, also saying "shut up" to the home fans who targeted him since he came in on the pitch in the second half. Videos surfaced of fans appearing to make monkey noises around his penalty kick. The referee booked him for the second time after his celebration. Lukaku got his first yellow card of the game for a foul on Juventus defender Federico Gatti minutes before the final whistle. The rule says that a player must be booked if he provokes the opposing fans, however, in this case, the decision of the referee seems a bit harsh, considering that the striker already celebrated in the same way other times before and avoided bookings. It's unaware of the match official heard the racial abuse but noted after the match that the booking was for "excessive celebration.
Inter's coach Simone Inzaghi told Mediaset after the match that "his celebration was misinterpreted, he always celebrates in the same way."
Michael Yormark, the President of Roc Nation Sports International that represents the Inter striker, issued a statement regarding the topic, saying that Lukaku was racially abused by the Juventus fans in the second half "before, during and after" he scored the penalty and that he "deserves an apology from Juventus."
Lukaku himself posted about it on Instagram after the match. "Been through it in 2019.. and 2023 again..I hope the league really take actions for real this time because this beautiful game should be enjoyed by everyone…Thank you for the supportive messages. F--- racism."
On Wednesday Juventus responded to the allegations.
"Juventus Football Club, as always, are collaborating with the police to identify those responsible for the racist gestures and chants which took place last night," the statement read.
Lukaku's red card was just the beginning of what almost became a brawl between the two teams. Many players from the two sides were involved, including some who were sitting on the bench like Inter's Danilo D'Ambrosio and Edin Dzeko. Juventus' Cuadrado was also booked and then later got a red card for a fight with Inter's captain Samir Handanovic (who also received a red card).
Inter will be without Lukaku and Handanovic for the second leg as the Italian FA suspended them for one game after their red cards, while Massimiliano Allegri will have to deal with the absence of Cuadrado for the next three Coppa Italia clashes. On top of that, the Juventus ultras sector of the stadium will be closed for the next home game against Napoli on April 23.
The absences of both Lukaku and Cuadrado will have an impact for the second leg, especially for Inter considering the difficulties that Inzaghi's side are facing. The Nerazzurri, before Tuesday, were coming from three defeats in a row against Spezia, Juventus and Fiorentina, and the Coppa Italia draw is definitely a big relief for the manager. The future of the former Lazio coach is still in doubt and this upcoming month will tell us if he will sit on the bench next season or not.
Inzaghi has to cope with the absence of Lukaku by going with Dzeko and Lautaro, who started this match. The former Manchester City striker is not living his best moment, as his last goal was on Jan. 18 in the Supercoppa Italiana's final against AC Milan, while the Argentinian only scored one goal in the last six games with the Nerazzurri. Inter are definitely not in their best moment and the draw against Juventus was the best possible outcome, hoping that in three weeks they will be in better shape. However, Inter need to react quickly as next week the Nerazzurri will face Benfica away for the first leg of the Champions League's quarterfinals, while on Friday they will face Salernitana at San Siro, a crucial match to be back in the race for the top four.