Atalanta were outplayed by Juventus in the race for a top-four spot on the weekend, as Samuel Iling-Junior and Dusan Vlahovic scored in the second half to down La Dea. However, for all the wrong reasons, it was Atalanta fans who made the headlines for racist and discriminatory chants against the Serb, with reportedly around 7,000 fans taking part in the lowly behavior aimed at calling him ‘gypsy’ for his roots.
Having been subject to the cacophony throughout the afternoon, Vlahovic retaliated with a thunderbolt in the 98th minute, all but killing the game for the Nerazzurri. He celebrated with the index finger on his lips – indicating to silence the crowd, a celebration which earned him a yellow card and ended up agitating the Curva Nord Pisani ultras of the Gewiss Stadium further.
Caso Vlahovic, UFFICIALE: chiusa per un turno la Curva dell'Atalanta, giallo confermato per il serbo della Juve https://t.co/5C9HPif3rC pic.twitter.com/4k54Y1K4Mw
— calciomercato.com (@cmdotcom) May 9, 2023
As a punishment, the sports judge has demanded the closure of the section for one home game, which will be played on May 20th. Atalanta will face Hellas Verona at home next and will see their ticket revenue take a hit due to the punishment.
In an incident similar to what Juventus experienced earlier this season, where Romelu Lukaku did the same to Bianconeri ultras, Vlahovic is expected to be pardoned if the accumulation of cards contributes to a ban. However, that is extremely unlikely since this is the first time the Serbian marksman has received a caution this season, and only four games remain until the end of the season.
? #Vlahovic, Gravina e la grazia a Lukaku per Inter-Juve: cosa diceva la Figc ⤵️https://t.co/Nwn93l2Cc0
— Tuttosport (@tuttosport) May 7, 2023
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