Lecce player leaves pitch in tears after racial abuse from Lazio fans
France international Samuel Umtiti left the pitch in tears after he and Lecce teammate Lameck Banda suffered racist abuse from visiting Lazio fans in Italy's Serie A on Wednesday, marking yet another case of racism in Italian football.
The referee stopped the game in the second half because of racist taunts "coming from the visitor sector occupied by Lazio supporters", Italian news agency Ansa said.
Cameroon-born defender Umtiti, who won the 2018 World Cup with France and is currency on loan to Lecce from Barcelona, was the primary target of the abuse.
Lazio fans also hurled racist insults at Zambian international Banda during the first half, Ansa reported.
Lecce president Saverio Sticchi Damiani said that the referee halted the game and, after stadium announcers called for the abuse to stop, "Umtiti asked that the match resume".
The 29-year-old Umtiti left the pitch in tears at the end of the match, also receiving a standing ovation from the Lecce crowd, according to Italian media.
READ ALSO: Why do Italian football fans get away with racially abusing black players?
"He wanted to respond on the pitch to the insults. He reacted like a true champion," newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport quoted Damiani as saying.
Lecce, who won 2-1, later praised their fans for responding to the abuse by chanting Umtiti's name.
"The racist insults were drowned out by the cheers of encouragement for our champion!" the club said on Twitter, along with the hashtag in English #KeepRacismOut.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino also threw his support behind Umtiti and Banda.
"Let's shout it loud and clear: NO TO RACISM! May the huge majority of fans, who are good people, stand up to shut up all the racists once and for all!" he wrote in an Instagram post.
READ ALSO: FIFA chief urges Italy to crack down on racism in football after abuse halts match
Lazio said in a statement that the club "condemns the perpetrators of this despicable, shameful and anachronistic gesture and will, as always, offer its maximum collaboration to the authorities in order to identify those responsible."
"Lazio fans are not racist and cannot be associated with a few individuals who seriously damage the image of the club."
This is by no means the first case of racist abuse in Italian football, particularly among clubs that have connections to the country's far right.
Fascist fan groups are common across Italy. Lazio's ultras group, the 'Irriducibili', has hardcore supporters with ties to the extreme right that stretch back to at least the 1970s.
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The referee stopped the game in the second half because of racist taunts "coming from the visitor sector occupied by Lazio supporters", Italian news agency Ansa said.
Cameroon-born defender Umtiti, who won the 2018 World Cup with France and is currency on loan to Lecce from Barcelona, was the primary target of the abuse.
Lazio fans also hurled racist insults at Zambian international Banda during the first half, Ansa reported.
Lecce president Saverio Sticchi Damiani said that the referee halted the game and, after stadium announcers called for the abuse to stop, "Umtiti asked that the match resume".
The 29-year-old Umtiti left the pitch in tears at the end of the match, also receiving a standing ovation from the Lecce crowd, according to Italian media.
READ ALSO: Why do Italian football fans get away with racially abusing black players?
"He wanted to respond on the pitch to the insults. He reacted like a true champion," newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport quoted Damiani as saying.
Lecce, who won 2-1, later praised their fans for responding to the abuse by chanting Umtiti's name.
"The racist insults were drowned out by the cheers of encouragement for our champion!" the club said on Twitter, along with the hashtag in English #KeepRacismOut.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino also threw his support behind Umtiti and Banda.
"Let's shout it loud and clear: NO TO RACISM! May the huge majority of fans, who are good people, stand up to shut up all the racists once and for all!" he wrote in an Instagram post.
READ ALSO: FIFA chief urges Italy to crack down on racism in football after abuse halts match
Lazio said in a statement that the club "condemns the perpetrators of this despicable, shameful and anachronistic gesture and will, as always, offer its maximum collaboration to the authorities in order to identify those responsible."
"Lazio fans are not racist and cannot be associated with a few individuals who seriously damage the image of the club."
This is by no means the first case of racist abuse in Italian football, particularly among clubs that have connections to the country's far right.
Fascist fan groups are common across Italy. Lazio's ultras group, the 'Irriducibili', has hardcore supporters with ties to the extreme right that stretch back to at least the 1970s.
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