Romelu Lukaku will be present in the return leg of the Coppa Italia semifinals against Juventus Wednesday. The Belgian striker was sent off in the first match, earning the second yellow card for shushing the Curva, which had hurled racist insults at him. In an unprecedented move, Gabriele Gravina, the president of the Italian Football Association, rescinded it.
He motivated the decision via a statement.
“It emerged unequivocally from the report of the Federal prosecutor that the player was subjected to multiple, severe, and deplorable displays of racial hatred and discrimination that could justify behaviors that aren’t lawful and were sanctioned by the referee.”
The new head of the Association Carlo Pacifici stated that the decision would remain a one-off in an interview with Radio Rai (via SportMediaset).
“Nothing will change, as the choice was made on the pitch. Pardoning is a prerogative of the president. He probably enacted it because he considered that there were all the conditions to do it. We will continue to officiate according to the rules. They indicate that those who silence the crowd must receive a yellow card despite the insults.”
Pacifici touched on a few other hot-button topics on top of the Lukaku affair.
“Technology revolutionized football, and we can’t underestimate it. We have to pursue better uniformity. Referees will talk more, but I disagree with post-game interviews. There’s too much adrenaline going on. We’ll look to explain decisions through direct channels. I’m open to any solution that meets the needs of the sport, as for instance coach’s challenges. When the IFAB will decide to install effective playing time, we will comply as we have always done.”
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