At the end of spring, Inter Milan's sharpshooter Lukaku scored in the first leg of the quarter-final of the Coppa Italia, away to rivals Zuyondas. After a brilliant goal, he failed to contain his joy and engaged in a controversial celebration. He was shown a second yellow card by the referee, which turned two yellows into one red, and he was sent off with a red card. On Friday (21st), his appeal was unsuccessful and he was facing suspension for the next round of the competition. However, Italian FA President Giovanni Gravina cleverly used the "anti-racism regulations" to grant Lucaçu a pardon, allowing him to play against Juventus in the second leg of the home leg in the early hours of Thursday morning (27th).
Late in that match, Lukaku's penalty kick found the net to force a 1-1 draw for Inter, and after scoring, he made a salute and a closing gesture to the crowd in an attempt to respond to the Zouki fans who had attacked him with racist remarks. However, this counterattack drew a second yellow card, which once again sent him off the pitch. Even his attempts to appeal to the Italian Sports Court resulted in a stonewall.
However, after considering the referee's post-match report, President Grauner pointed out that Lukaku had been subjected to racial slurs on several occasions during the match. Based on the fact that combating racial discrimination is a fundamental principle in the world of sports, and in accordance with article 43 of the Sports Act, President Gravina had good reason to pardon Lukaku so that he could play his best in the next crucial match.
