- Lukaku received racist abuse after late equaliser
- Chaos erupted on the pitch
- Cuadrado, Handanovic and Lukaku all suspended
WHAT HAPPENED? Tuesday night's Coppa Italia clash between Juventus and Inter ended with some ugly scenes. During the match, Inter striker Romelu Lukaka received monkey chants and other racist abuse from some Juve fans, and after he bagged a last-minute equaliser from the penalty spot, the abuse continued. His celebration in front of the offending fans caused him to be sent off, a decision denounced by his agency Roc Nation, who said Lukaka "deserved an apology".
Elsewhere on the pitch, the game's late chaos also saw a scuffle between Juan Cuadrado and Samir Handanovic occur, with fists reportedly thrown. An announcement Thursday has confirmed that each of these players will be punished for their actions on the pitch.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Lukaku's celebration, which involved a salute and an index finger to the mouth, was deemed provocative by referee Davide Massa, who showed the Belgian striker a second yellow card. Minutes later, both Cuadrado and Handanovic were also sent off, after tempers flared up and Cuadrado attempt to punch the Inter goalkeeper.
As reported by Sky Sports, each player has been punished. Due to the nature of the incident, Cuadrado has received a three-match ban, while Lukaku and Handanovic have both received one-game bans; these will served in the Coppa Italia semi-final second leg.
AND WHAT'S MORE: The racist chanting directed towards Lukaku will also result in punishment for fans. Juventus will be forced to play their next league home match, against Napoli on April 23, with the Tribuna Sud section of their ground closed to spectators.
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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR LUKAKU? Lukaku continues to be vocal in calling out "disgusting racist abuse" - which he has faced on multiple occasions in his career. Following the shocking Coppa Italia incident, he took to Instagram to post a "f*ck racism" message. He will undoubtably be frustrated that his ban was upheld given the circumstances.