Juventus have been handed a one-match partial stadium closure after fans racially abused Inter Milan striker Romelu Lukaku.

Serie A have ruled that the lower tier of Allianz Stadium’s South Stand will be closed for Juventus’s league game against Napoli on 23 April.

Lukaku suffered racist chants from a section of the fans before being sent off in Inter’s 1-1 Coppa Italia draw with Juve on Tuesday.

The 29-year-old was shown a second yellow card for putting his finger to his lips in front of the home fans after his late equaliser in the semi-final first leg.

Lukaku will serve a one-match ban for his red card, while Juventus midfielder Juan Cuadrado and Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic have also been handed bans after a row broke out after the final whistle.

Cuadrado has been given a three-match suspension for grabbing Handanovic by the neck and punching him, while the Inter captain has been banned for one match for his role in the fight.

Earlier on Thursday, Lukaku’s representatives – sports agency Roc Nation – said sport should “hold bigots accountable”, adding “hatred equals racism equals ignorance”.

Taking out a full-page advert in Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, it wrote: “Dear Italy, do better, want better, be better.”

Lukaku said on Instagram after the game in Turin that “history repeats itself”, adding that he also faced racist abuse in 2019.

Italy’s football federation, the FIGC, will mark its anti-discrimination campaign #UnitiDagliStessiColori (#Unitedbythesamecolours) at all levels of the game this weekend.

Inter play at Salernitana in Serie A on Friday.

 

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