Juventus have effectively escaped punishment after Inter striker Romelu Lukaku was racially abused by their fans during the Coppa Italia semi-final first leg at Allianz Stadium.
The Italian football federation had ordered the closure of the Tribuna Sud, the section of the stadium from which Lukaku received racist chants at the end of Juventus' 1-1 draw with Inter on April 4.
The Belgian striker picked up a second yellow card and a subsequent sending off for his reaction to the abuse in his celebrations after converting a late penalty. But while he will be forced to sit out the second leg on April 26, Juventus have effectively managed to escape sanction.
The club argued that they have done all they can to cooperate with authorities to identify those responsible for the racist abuse. Two fans, an adult and a minor, have been banned from Juventus games for life and 10 years respectively. The Italian federation accepted their argument and suspended the punishment, allowing all parts of the stadium to remain open for the Old Lady's league game against Napoli next weekend.
Lukaku's ludicrous sending off sparked a wave of reaction. The player's representatives Roc Nation said the "racist remarks made towards Romelu Lukaku by Juventus fans in Turin were beyond despicable and cannot be accepted," while pointing out that Lukaku had celebrated goals before in a similar manner with no sanction.
There has been widespread disbelief at Lukaku's sending off, with influential figures such as Thierry Henry speaking out on the issue. The repeal of Juventus' stadium ban will only further frustrate those who believe not enough is being done to seriously address racial abuse in Italy.
