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Inter's Romelu Lukaku will be available for the Coppa Italia semifinal second leg against Juventus after having his ban overturned by the FIGC
Inter striker Romelu Lukaku has had his one-match suspension in the Coppa Italia overturned by FIGC president Gabriele Gravina after the federation faced vehement backlash in the wake of the original decision to uphold the ban earned during the Nerazzurri’s 1-1 draw with Juventus in the first leg of the Coppa Italia semifinal.
Lukaku was sent off for a ‘provocative’ celebration against Juventus
Lukaku received his marching orders during a dramatic Coppa Italia semifinal after scoring and celebrating in front of the Juventus Tribuna Sud section, which had hurled racist abuse towards him before, during, and after his penalty effort.
Lukaku’s celebrated by holding a finger to his lips while offering a salute, and it was deemed a provocative gesture by referee Davide Massa despite it being the Belgian’s trademark celebration throughout this season.
After the game, Inter appealed the sending-off but were originally unsuccessful, and the decision of the Italian Court of Appeal to ratify his suspension was greeted with great opposition, especially as Juventus had successfully won an appeal against the decision to partially close a section of their stadium as punishment for their fans’ part in the incident.
Lukaku ban overturned by FIGC president
With just days left until the second leg of the Coppa Italia semifinal between Inter and Juventus, the FIGC have now decided to heed reason and overturn the ban given to Lukaku for the incident, allowing him to participate in the second leg at the San Siro.
In a statement by FIGC president, Gravina, he said the decision to overturn the ban was made as "an exception” and in “an extraordinary way" to show that “The principle of the fight against all forms of racism is a fundamental element of the sports system.”
Lukaku also released a statement via Inter, saying, "I am really happy about this decision from the president of the FIGC, who has shown great sensitivity to the situation.
“I believe that thanks to his intervention, justice has been done and this sends out a great message to the whole world of sport and beyond. This has shown that the desire is there to fight racism.”
Inter will be happy to have an important player back in their ranks for the semifinal return leg against Juventus and will be hoping that the Belgian forward can improve on his recent form to help them reach consecutive Coppa Italia finals after winning the Cup in the 2021/22 season.
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