new controversy after racist cries in Italy, a closed Atalanta Bergamo stand

Another racist incident in Italy. A stand at Gewiss Stadium, home of Atalanta Bergamo, will remain closed for one match, the Italian Football League announced on Tuesday (May 9). This decision follows discriminatory insults uttered by club supporters against Juventus Turin striker Dusan Vlahovic on Sunday, during the last day of the Italian championship.

Author of the second goal of the victory of the Bianconeri (2-0), the Serb was targeted at the end of the meeting by insults from “80% of the 9000 occupants” of the northern bend of the Bergamasque enclosure, according to the statement of decisions of the Disciplinary Committee. These cries were also repeated despite the intervention of the Atalanta players and the “whistles of disapproval from the rest of the public”.

Lukaku already victim of racism last month

Furious, Dusan Vlahovic was even warned for having silenced local fans. A sad situation reminiscent of scenes already observed in early April at Juventus Stadium. Turin fans had this time targeted Romelu Lukaku during an Italian Cup match against Inter. The Belgian international had been excluded in the process, warned a second time for having celebrated a goal in a way judged by the referee of the meeting.

After the controversy around Vlahovic, his Brazilian teammate Alex Sandro claimed “a tougher law” against demonstrations by “racism”. But the Atalanta Bergamo coach believed that the behavior of his supporters was attributable to a “lack of education” and not to “racism”. “If you talk about racism, you are on the wrong track, we have Pasalic, Djimsiti, in the past Ilicic, they should have been shouted at too”he assured DAZN after the match.