Juve handed one-game partial stadium ban over racist abuse of Lukaku

Juventus have been handed a one-game partial stadium ban after some of the club’s fans directed racist chants at Inter Milan’s Romelu Lukaku.

The Belgium forward was shown a second yellow card for his celebrations in front of the home fans after converting a stoppage-time penalty to earn Inter a 1-1 draw in Turin in Tuesday night’s Coppa Italia semi-final first leg.

A chaotic end to the Allianz Stadium encounter ensued as scuffles broke out between the two sets of players, resulting in Inter captain Samir Handanovic and Juve midfielder Juan Cuadrado being sent off after the final whistle.

Lukaku was suspended for the second leg of the semi-finals on April 26 by the Italian league judge on Thursday. Handanovic is also banned for one game while Cuadrado is to miss three.

Inter Milan's Romelu Lukaku is issued a red card during the Italian cup semi final first leg soccer match between Juventus and Inter Milan, at the Allianz Stadium, in Turin, Italy, Tuesday, April 4, 2023. (Marco Alpozzi/LaPresse via AP)
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Lukaku was shown a second yellow card for his celebrations in front of the Juve home fans

Serie A have decided that the lower tier of Juventus’ South Stand, which holds around 5,000 seats, will be closed for their next home game, against league leaders Napoli on April 23.

Juventus are “collaborating with the police” to identify those responsible for the racist gestures and chants.

In a statement released late on Tuesday, US-based sports agency Roc Nation – which represents Lukaku – demanded Juventus apologise to the striker.

“Tonight’s racist remarks made towards Romelu Lukaku by Juventus fans in Turin were beyond despicable and cannot be accepted,” Roc Nation Sports International president Michael Yormark said.

“Before, during, and after the penalty, he was subjected to hostile and disgusting racist abuse. Romelu celebrated in the same manner he has previously celebrated goals. The referee’s response was to award a yellow card to Romelu.

“The Italian authorities must use this opportunity to tackle racism, rather than punish the victim of the abuse.”

Lukaku, on loan at Inter from Chelsea, was also the target of offensive chants in 2019, which he condemned in a social media post at the time.

Inter Milan's Romelu Lukaku, center, reacts following the Italian cup semi final first leg soccer match between Juventus and Inter Milan, at the Allianz Stadium, in Turin, Italy, Tuesday, April 4, 2023. (Fabio Ferrari/LaPresse via AP)
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Lukaku has scored five goals in 20 Inter appearances this season

“History repeats… Been through it in 2019.. and 2023 again..,” Lukaku said in a post on Instagram on Wednesday.

“I hope the league really take actions for real this time because this beautiful game should be enjoyed by everyone…”

Inter also reiterated their stance against racism and expressed their support for Lukaku.

“We want to firmly reiterate that we stand united against racism and all forms of discrimination,” a statement read.

“Football and sport must not only be a place for emotion but also for clear and shared values, and what we saw last night in the final minutes of the Juventus vs Inter Coppa Italia semi-final in Turin has no place in our sport.

“This is why we reiterate our support, affection and solidarity to Romelu Lukaku, just as the world of football is doing from all over since the incident.

“Stay strong Rom, we stand with you!”

Racism has been a long-running problem in Italian football and authorities have been criticised for not taking strong enough action.

On Wednesday, Serie A put out a statement condemning racism, adding, “Clubs, as they have always done, will identify the guilty individuals and ban them from their respective facilities for life.”

The league did not name Lukaku in their statement.

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Lukaku racially abused during Inter Milan’s Coppa Italia clash at Juve

Juventus are working with police to “identify those responsible” after Inter Milan’s Romelu Lukaku was racially abused during Tuesday night’s Coppa Italia semi-final first leg.

The Belgium forward was shown a second yellow card for his celebrations in front of the home fans after converting a stoppage-time penalty to earn Inter a 1-1 draw in Turin, with Lukaku then subjected to abuse from the stands.

A chaotic end to the Allianz Stadium encounter ensued as scuffles broke out between both sets of players, resulting in Inter captain Samir Handanovic and Juve midfielder Juan Cuadrado being sent off after the final whistle.

A statement from the Turin club on Wednesday read: “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.”

Inter Milan's Romelu Lukaku is issued a red card during the Italian cup semi final first leg soccer match between Juventus and Inter Milan, at the Allianz Stadium, in Turin, Italy, Tuesday, April 4, 2023. (Marco Alpozzi/LaPresse via AP)
Image:
Lukaku was shown a second yellow card for his celebrations in front of the Juve home fans

In a statement released late on Tuesday, US based sports agency Roc Nation – which represents Lukaku – demanded Juventus apologise to the striker.

“Tonight’s racist remarks made towards Romelu Lukaku by Juventus fans in Turin were beyond despicable and cannot be accepted,” Roc Nation Sports International president Michael Yormark said.

“Before, during, and after the penalty, he was subjected to hostile and disgusting racist abuse. Romelu celebrated in the same manner he has previously celebrated goals. The referee’s response was to award a yellow card to Romelu.

“The Italian authorities must use this opportunity to tackle racism, rather than punish the victim of the abuse.”

Lukaku, on loan at Inter from Chelsea, was also the target of offensive chants in 2019, which he condemned in a social media post at the time.

Inter Milan's Romelu Lukaku, center, reacts following the Italian cup semi final first leg soccer match between Juventus and Inter Milan, at the Allianz Stadium, in Turin, Italy, Tuesday, April 4, 2023. (Fabio Ferrari/LaPresse via AP)
Image:
Lukaku has scored five goals in 20 Inter appearances this season

“History repeats… Been through it in 2019.. and 2023 again..,” Lukaku said in a post on Instagram on Wednesday.

“I hope the league really take actions for real this time because this beautiful game should be enjoyed by everyone…”

Inter also reiterated their stance against racism and expressed their support for Lukaku.

“We want to firmly reiterate that we stand united against racism and all forms of discrimination,” a statement read.

“Football and sport must not only be a place for emotion but also for clear and shared values, and what we saw last night in the final minutes of the Juventus vs Inter Coppa Italia semi-final in Turin has no place in our sport.

“This is why we reiterate our support, affection and solidarity to Romelu Lukaku, just as the world of football is doing from all over since the incident.

“Stay strong Rom, we stand with you!”

Racism has been a long-running problem in Italian football and authorities have been criticised for not taking strong enough action.

On Wednesday, Serie A put out a statement condemning racism, adding, “Clubs, as they have always done, will identify the guilty individuals and ban them from their respective facilities for life.”

The league did not name Lukaku in their statement.

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Potter’s Chelsea to face Real Madrid, Pep’s City drawn with Bayern

Graham Potter’s Chelsea have been paired with Champions League holders Real Madrid in the quarter-finals, while Pep Guardiola faces a reunion with former club Bayern Munich for Manchester City.

Both Premier League sides will meet each other in the semi-final, should both Chelsea and City advance through their last-eight ties.

Meanwhile, there will be an all-Italian derby in the quarter-finals as Serie A champions AC Milan face current leaders Napoli, while Inter Milan will take on Benfica.

Champions League quarter-final draw in full:

First legs on April 11 or April 12, second legs April 18 or April 19

Real Madrid vs Chelsea

Benfica vs Inter Milan

Manchester City vs Bayern Munich

AC Milan vs Napoli

Champions League semi-final draw in full:

First legs on May 9 or May 10, second legs May 16 or May 17

AC Milan or Napoli vs Benfica or Inter Milan

Real Madrid or Chelsea vs Manchester City or Bayern Munich

Chelsea played Real Madrid in the Champions League last season
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Chelsea played Real Madrid in the Champions League last season

The first legs of the quarter-finals will take place on April 11 and 12, with the return fixtures on April 18 and 19.

Meanwhile, the semi-final first-legs are due to happen on May 9 and May 10, with the return legs on May 16 and May 17.

Chelsea beat Borussia Dortmund 2-1 on aggregate in their last-16 tie, but now face a major task to reach the last four against holders Real.

The Blues exited last season’s Champions League to Real at the same stage – losing the first-leg 3-1 at Stamford Bridge before putting in a valiant outing at the Santiago Bernabeu,

Chelsea, then managed by Thomas Tuchel, went 3-0 up to lead the tie but goals from Rodrygo and Karim Benzema – the latter strike coming in extra-time – saw the Blues crash out 5-4 on aggregate.

Meanwhile, Man City manager Guardiola will face a familiar foe in former side Bayern – the club he won seven major titles with between 2013 and 2016, including three Bundesliga titles.

City and Bayern also have a connection through Joao Cancelo, who will be able to play against his parent club after moving on loan to the German side, with an option to make the deal permanent for around £60m.

Medhi Benatia (left) clashes with Pep Guardiola during Bayern Munich's Bundesliga match against Borussia Dortmund on March 5, 2016
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Pep Guardiola managed Bayern Munich between 2013 and 2016

Should Chelsea and City go on to meet each other in the Champions League last four, it will lead to six meetings between the two clubs in this season alone.

Both Premier League clubs were paired against each other in the third rounds of the FA Cup and Carabao Cup earlier this season.

Potter excited by Madrid test but focused on Everton

Chelsea boss Graham Potter is excited by the prospect of facing reigning champions Real Madrid in the last eight but insists his focus is firmly on this weekend’s Premier League clash with Everton.

The Blues were drawn against the reigning champions in Friday’s draw, with the winners facing Manchester City or Bayern Munich in the semis.

It follows footage of Potter earlier this week drawing cheers from Chelsea supporters at a fan event by saying they would try to “win the ******* Champions League”.

“Well, I said we would try to win the Champions League and that’s the same I’m sure for the other seven clubs as well,” he said at his press conference.

“The other clubs will say you can lose in the quarter-final, because that’s the nature of the Champions League.

“We’ll focus on Real Madrid when we get there but at the moment it’s Everton.

“The feeling is excited but as I said, I’d rather speak about Everton because that game is tomorrow and the other stuff is a long way away.”

Can Cancelo face Man City?

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola (left) and Joao Cancelo, who has played down suggestions a rift with Guardiola prompted his surprise deadline-day loan move to Bayern Munich.
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Joao Cancelo left Guardiola’s Man City to join Bayern Munich on loan in Janua

Manchester City have confirmed that Cancelo is eligible to face them.

Cancelo joined Bayern Munich on loan in January after becoming dissatisfied with his number of minutes at City.

Since moving to the Allianz Arena, the Portuguese international has started four out of Bayern’s six Bundesliga matches – but only played 49 minutes of their two-legged victory against Paris Saint-Germain in the last-16.

Opta stats on Chelsea and Man City draws

  • Chelsea have only lost one of their seven games against Real Madrid in European competition – indeed, they have the lowest percentage of losses against Real Madrid (14%) of any side to have played them 5+ times in Europe.
  • Chelsea’s only defeat in seven matches against Real Madrid in Europe came in their most recent one at Stamford Bridge, losing 1-3 in the 2021-22 quarter-final first leg.
  • Real Madrid have won their last four UEFA Champions League ties against English sides, beating Chelsea in last season’s quarter-final, Manchester City in last season’s semi-finals and Liverpool in last season’s final and this season’s round of 16.
  • All six previous meetings between Man City and Bayern Munich came in the UEFA Champions League group stages (2011-12, 2013-14, 2014-15), with each side winning three times.
  • This will be Pep Guardiola’s first meeting with Bayern Munich since leaving the club. His only managerial games against them came in the 2008-09 Champions League quarter-finals, knocking them out with Barcelona en route to lifting the trophy.
  • Man City have progressed from all four of their previous UEFA Champions League knockout ties against German clubs, including one quarter-final (2020-21 v Borussia Dortmund).
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Inter reach CL quarter-finals with 0-0 draw at Porto

Inter Milan reached the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time in more than a decade after surviving a late barrage of pressure at Porto to escape with a 0-0 draw which took them through 1-0 on aggregate.

It was a disappointing night for the home fans at a sold-out Dragao stadium as the Portuguese champions tried in vain to wipe out the narrow deficit from the first leg in Italy.

A disciplined Inter side seemed content to hold onto their lead and did not face a serious threat until added time.

Porto struck the woodwork twice within 30 seconds before Pepe was sent off for a second yellow card as Inter joined city rivals AC Milan in the quarter-final draw.

Porto's goalkeeper Diogo Costa embraces team-mate Fabio Cardoso
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Porto’s goalkeeper Diogo Costa embraces team-mate Fabio Cardoso

How Inter edged past Porto…

Inter Milan players celebrate after reaching the Champions league quarter-finals for the first time since 2011
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Inter Milan players celebrate after reaching the Champions league quarter-finals for the first time since 2011

In the end, Romelu Lukaku’s goal four minutes from the end of the first leg was enough to see Inter through to their first Champions League quarter-final since 2011.

Mehdi Taremi came within inches of forcing the tie to extra time when he rattled the crossbar in the closing stages.

Porto's Toni Martinez reacts after a big chance goes begging
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Porto’s Toni Martinez reacts after a big chance goes begging

The Portuguese side were reduced to 10 men in the seventh minute of injury-time when winger Pepe was shown a second yellow card.

On-loan Chelsea striker Lukaku came on for Inter 20 minutes from time, replacing Edin Dzeko who had come closest to scoring for Simone Inzaghi’s side with a low effort that was saved by Diogo Costa.

Napoli could make it three Serie A clubs in the last eight on Wednesday, holding a 2-0 lead over Eintracht Frankfurt from the first leg.

GRAPHIC

Opta stats: Inter reach quarter-finals for seventh time…

  • Inter Milan have booked their place in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League for the seventh time overall and for the first time since 2010-11 when they were knocked out in the last eight by Schalke.
  • Inter have kept three consecutive clean sheets in UEFA Champions League knockout games for the first time since April 2010.
  • Porto have now been eliminated from seven of their eight two-legged UEFA Champions League knockout ties after losing the first leg, only progressing from this position in 2018-19 against Roma.
  • Porto have won just two of their last seven UEFA Champions League knockout games on home soil, drawing one and losing four.
  • Porto mustered 21 shots against Inter tonight, the joint-most without scoring by a team in a UEFA Champions League game this season, along with Atletico Madrid vs Club Brugge on October 12 and Chelsea vs Borussia Dortmund on February 15.
  • No side has picked up more red cards in this season’s UEFA Champions League than Porto (3, level with Sporting Lisbon).
  • Inter midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan made his 50th appearance in the Champions League, the first Armenian player to reach that milestone in the competition.

When is the draw?

The draws for the quarter-finals and semi-finals take place at 11am UK time on Friday, March 17 in Nyon, Switzerland at UEFA’s headquarters.

The eight last-16 winners are involved in an open quarter-final and semi-final draw.

There are no seedings and no country protection, so clubs can face opposition from the same country. They can also draw teams they previously played in the group stage.

A final draw will also take place to determine the ‘home’ side for administrative reasons for the showpiece event in Istanbul, Turkey on June 10.

You can follow the draw with Sky Sports’ live blog, so you can keep across everything right here.

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All you need to know about Friday’s CL quarter-final and semi-final draws

With Chelsea guaranteed a Champions League quarter-final spot, and with Manchester City and Liverpool still battling to make it through, find out when the draw for the last eight and the semi-finals will take place, and who will be involved.

Chelsea are the only English side through to the quarter-finals so far after overcoming Borussia Dortmund 2-1 on aggregate in the last 16.

Manchester City and Liverpool are the other Premier League teams who can still reach the quarters, with both teams playing their second legs this week.

Chelsea's Raheem Sterling, left, shoots to score his sides first goal during the Champions League round of 16 second leg soccer match between Chelsea FC and Borussia Dortmund at Stamford Bridge, London, Tuesday March 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
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Chelsea defeated Borussia Dortmund in the last 16

City face RB Leipzig on Tuesday at the Etihad Stadium after Pep Guardiola’s side were held to a 1-1 draw in Germany in the first leg.

Liverpool, meanwhile, face a Herculean task in their bid to overturn a 5-2 first-leg deficit against defending champions Real Madrid, with the second leg taking place on Wednesday at the Bernabeu.

But Tottenham will not be involved in the draw after limping out to AC Milan 1-0 on aggregate.

Brahim Diaz of AC Milan celebrates with team-mate Theo Hernandez (R) after scoring vs Spurs
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AC Milan knocked out Tottenham to reach the quarter-finals

Bayern Munich and Benfica are also through, with Inter Milan or Porto and Eintracht Frankfurt or Napoli hoping to join them in the last eight.

Here’s all you need to know ahead of the quarter-final and semi-final draws…

When are the quarter-final and semi-final draws?

The draws take place at 11am UK time on Friday, March 17 in Nyon, Switzerland at UEFA’s headquarters.

You can follow the draw with Sky Sports’ live blog, so you can keep across everything right here.

How do the draws work?

Image:
The Champions League quarter-final and semi-final draws take place on Friday at 11am

The eight last-16 winners are involved in an open quarter-final and semi-final draw.

There are no seedings and no country protection, so clubs can face opposition from the same country. They can also draw teams they previously played in the group stage.

A final draw will also take place to determine the ‘home’ side for administrative reasons for the showpiece event in Istanbul, Turkey on June 10.

Who will be in the quarter-final and semi-final draws?

  • AC Milan
  • Bayern Munich
  • Benfica
  • Chelsea
  • Manchester City or RB Leipzig (1-1 after first leg)
  • Napoli or Eintracht Frankfurt (2-0 after first leg)
  • Porto or Inter Milan (0-1 after first leg)
  • Real Madrid or Liverpool (5-2 after first leg)

When are the quarter-finals?

The first legs of the quarter-finals will be played Tuesday, April 11 and Wednesday, April 12.

The second legs will be played Tuesday, April 18 and Wednesday, April 19.

When are the semi-finals?

The first legs of the semi-finals will be held on May 9 and 10, and the second legs on May 16 and 17.

When is the final?

The final takes place on June 10 at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey.

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