Romelu Lukaku: Inter Milan ultras deny chants against their own player were racist
The group said opposition fans used the chanting to put Lukaku off during the game because they "feared the goals he could do".
Wednesday 4 September 2019 14:21, UK
A group of Inter Milan ultras have denied that chants targeting a new signing at their own club were racist.
Monkey chants were directed at Inter Milan's Romelu Lukaku by rival Cagliari fans after he scored a match-winning penalty.
Ultras - the name given to groups of organised football fans - are often accused of racism at games.
An Inter Milan-supporting group who call themselves L'urlo della Nord - The Scream of the North - apologised to Lukaku if the chanting came across as racist, but rejected claims that Italy has a problem with racial discrimination.
Defending fans from the rival team, the group said Cagliari supporters only used chanting to put off the opposition because they "fear the goals" Lukaku could score.
L'urlo della Nord wrote: "In Italy we use certain 'ways' only to 'help the team' and try to make opponents nervous not by racism but to make them go wrong.
"We are multi-ethnic supporters and we have always welcomed players from all over the world, although we have also used certain ways against opposing players in the past and will probably do so in the future.
"We are not racist in the same way that Cagliari supporters are not.
"You have to understand that in all the Italian stadiums people support their own teams, but at the same time, people are used to cheering against their opponents not for racism but for 'helping their teams'."
The group urged Lukaku to "clarify what racism really is and that Italian fans are not racist", adding: "Rest assured that what they say or do to an opposing black player is not what they would say or do in real life."
Speaking about the incident, Lukaku wrote in a post on Instagram: "Football is a game to be enjoyed by everyone we shouldn't accept any form of discrimination that will put our game in shame.
"I hope the football federations all over the world react strongly on all cases of discrimination!!!"
Lukaku has called for action to be taken and said social media platforms and football clubs "need to work better... because every day you see at least a racist comment under a post of a person of colour... we've been saying it for years and still no action".
On Tuesday, an Italian judge said he needed more evidence before deciding if Cagliari should be punished for the chants aimed at Lukaku.
In a statement on Monday, Cagliari said: "[The club] firmly rejects what happened Sunday night at the Sardegna Arena during the game versus Inter Milan.
"The club underlines - once again - its intention to identify, isolate and ban those ignorant individuals whose shameful actions and behaviours are completely against those values that Cagliari Calcio strongly promotes in all their initiatives."