Antonio Conte condemns Cagliari fans for racist actions against Romelu Lukaku

Inter Milan's Romelu Lukaku scored a penalty goal against Cagliari at the 72-minute mark to ensure a win for his club. Unhappy with the goal, fans of the opposing team made audible monkey chants at Lukaku. The striker stood and stared as the unapologetic Sardinian fans continued to racially berate the player. Inter Milan's manager, Antonio Conte, spoke up against the fans' actions.

Lukaku made his second appearance on behalf of Inter Milan against Cagliari during a Serie A match. Being the most expensive player in Inter Milan, Lukaku has managed to justify his worth by scoring in each of his first two matches. However, his performance was not appreciated by fans of the opposing team.

The Belgian striker, of Congolese descent, transferred from Manchester United to Inter Milan during the summer transfer window. When interviewed by Inter TV, Lukaku did not mention the racial abuse incident. He only spoke about the match being a tough one and how he hopes to take the team further by contributing in the form of goals and assists.

While the team celebrated Lukaku's goal, the Cagliari fans made monkey chants. Lukaku's teammate, Milan Skriniar, was seen holding a finger to his lips indicating the fans to stop the chants. In a post-match interview, Skriniar said that the fans were encouraging something that should not exist in football so he gestured the fans to shut up.

Conte claims that he had not heard the chants but was aware of the bad behaviour of Italian spectators. He insisted that the fans need to improve their behaviour towards opposing teams. According to the Mirror, Conte spoke about how fans in other countries focused on encouraging their teams instead of abusing the opponents.

The Sardinian club is famous for its racially abusive tendencies. Last year, ex-Juventus player Moise Kean faced similar abuse from Cagliari fans. Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri had asked the Italian Football Federation authorities to take steps against the fans. However, authorities did not act on the allegations. At the Sardegna Arena, Blaise Matuidi and Sulley Muntari have also been subject to racial slurs. Authorities do not seem to be taking any steps to address the matter.