Romelu Lukaku was targeted by racists after Inter Milan lost to Manchester City in Champions League final
On loan Chelsea forward Romelu Lukaku was the subject of racism once more after Inter Milan’s 1-0 defeat by Manchester City in the Champions League final.
In extra time, (h/t Metro) the Belgian forward nearly came close to levelling the game, but City goalkeeper Ederson was quick to stop his shot. Then the 29-year-old also stopped Federico Dimarco’s shot as he was in his path, saving City from conceding a key goal.
Despite having a terrible game, the striker on loan from Chelsea was once again held responsible for Inter’s defeat and subjected to racial taunts from the fans on social media. After the final whistle, the supporters left hateful comments on his Instagram profile.
However, this is not the first time Lukaku has experienced racism. In April, during Inter’s Coppa Italia game against Juventus, he was the subject of racist remarks.
When will it stop?
Additionally, the 29-year-old addressed the issue on his social media profile, but it did not stop some of his fans from mistreating him racially.
Racism in football is still on the rise, and the players’ mental health is undoubtedly affected even though football’s governing bodies rarely ever take harsh measures. A certain section of players become easy targets for disgruntled ‘fans’ after a poor game for their team.
Why can’t authorities introduce new regulations to combat racism despite the ever-growing advancements in football technology? Things are tougher to monitor on social media but websites like Twitter, Instagram and Facebook must have the personnel and technology at their disposal to stop things like this from happening.
Mass-reporting racists on these platforms to authorities will be a brilliant way to combat this issue if educating them fails. Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior is one of the many other players who have also been routinely subjected to racial insults.
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It is truly a sad state of affairs. Lukaku had a great season with Inter Milan, helping them finish third in Serie A and reach the final of the UEFA Champions League for the first time since the 2009-10 season. That is what he should be praised for.