Romelu Lukaku, the Inter Milan striker, has been subjected to racist abuse on social media following the team’s loss in the UEFA Champions League final. The Belgian player has faced similar incidents in the past.
After the Champions League final between Manchester City and Inter Milan, which ended in a 1-0 victory for City, hateful comments surfaced on social media platforms. Romelu Lukaku, who was substituted into the match for Inter in the 57th minute, was targeted with racist insults online. The forward, who had been on loan from Chelsea to the Italian team for the season, missed a chance to equalize the score just before the final whistle, which could have kept his team in the game.
Lukaku has nearly nine million followers on Instagram alone. Amid numerous dehumanizing comments against the Belgian striker, many people condemned the racist remarks.
Lukaku has repeatedly been the target of racist abuse in the past. During the previous season in Italy, such insults sparked a scandal. In the semifinals of the Italian Cup against Juventus Turin, Lukaku was verbally attacked by opposing fans in the stadium. Consequently, his yellow-red card, which he received for an allegedly provocative goal celebration, was later rescinded.
