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Established 1961 27 Sports Tuesday, September 3, 2019 Lukaku sends Inter Milan top after racist abuse at Cagliari Inter win their second from two league matches to sit ahead of champions Juventus MILAN: Italian football was involved in another Torino are right alongside Inter and local rivals Juve racism storm on Sunday as Romelu Lukaku was tar- after shocking Atalanta 3-2, while Lazio missed the geted by monkey chants before putting Inter Milan chance to keep the pace with that trio after drawing an top of Serie A with the winning penalty in their 2-1 tri- eventful Rome derby 1-1. umph at Cagliari. Aleksandar Kolarov put Roma ahead in the 17th Lukaku — a 65 million euros ($73 million) summer minute against the run of play with a well-taken penal- signing from Manchester United— was preparing to ty, but Luis Alberto grabbed the equaliser just before take the spot-kick in the 71st minute in Sardinia when the hour mark to leave Paulo Fonseca without a win as the racist chants came from the crowd that continued new Roma boss. for several seconds. Lazio missed several chances to seal a second win The 26-year-old Belgian international angrily looked from their two opening games, hitting the woodwork towards the stands before confidently converting his four times with Roma rattling the frame of the goal second goal in as many games, which came after twice. The hosts’ biggest regret was Manuel Lazzari’s Lautaro Martinez’s 28th minute opener for the Antonio 92nd-minute strike being ruled out for offside. Conte’s side and Joao Pedro’s leveller for the hosts four “There’s a bit of bitterness. We had 21 shots on goal, minutes after the break. hit the woodwork four times and a goal ruled out,” said Lukaku was quickly surrounded by his teammates as Lazio coach Simone Inzaghi. “We had so many chances Inter won their second from two league matches to sit and you have to win games like that.” ahead of champions Juventus, who also are on maxi- “We offered an extraordinary show for the public, mum points following their thrilling 4-3 win over Napoli and a great thrill for me as a coach, at my first Rome on Saturday. derby,” said Fonseca. The derby took place amid Racist chanting has dogged Italian stadia in recent heightened security after the murder of former Lazio years, with Italy striker Moise Kean also the victim of ultras chiefs Fabrizio Piscitelli, nicknamed “Diabolik”, similar abuse — alongside teammate Blaise Matuidi — who was shot dead in the capital last month. at Cagliari after he scored a goal there for his former Piscitelli was for almost 30 years the boss of Lazio’s team Juventus last April. hardcore Irriducibili (“Die Hards”) fan group, which is Kalidou Koulibaly was showered with monkey notorious for its far-right politics. Lazio fans unfurled a chants last season by Lukaku’s new fans at the San Siro, banner in his honour before the match with “Rest in while several other black players have been targeted. peace Fabrizio”. SAN SIRO: File photo shows Inter Milan’s Belgian forward Romelu Lukaku (R) challenges Lecce’s Italian “I didn’t hear (the chants),” said Conte. “I can speak Torino are also on maximum points after their come- defender Marco Calderoni during the Italian Serie A football match Inter Milan vs US Lecce on August 26, however in general: I think we need to improve in Italy, back win at Atalanta, who qualified for this season’s 2019 at the San Siro stadium in Milan. —AFP respect everyone. “When I was working abroad, the Champions League by finishing third last season. Kevin fans would cheer on their own team, not spend their Bonifazi had put Torino ahead after 24 minutes before But Alex Berenguer got Torino back level on 57 min- 2-1 at Genoa, as did Sampdoria who were hammered 4- entire time insulting the opponent. I was fine here, Duvan Zapata’s double either side of the break for utes with Armando Izzo nodding in the winner on 66 1 at Sassuolo thanks to a Domenico Berardi hat-trick noone insulted me.” Atalanta. minutes. Fiorentina fell to their second straight defeat scored in 14 first-half minutes. —AFP shots on goal, hit the woodwork four times Lazio, Roma and a goal ruled out,” said Lazio coach Simone Inzaghi. “We had so many chances and you have to win games like that.” Five talking-points settle for derby Lazio are second in the Serie A table behind champions Juventus, who are on from Serie A weekend stalemate maximum points following their thrilling 4-3 win over Napoli on Saturday, while MILAN: Serie A suffered more racism at the weekend when MILAN: Roma and Lazio settled for a 1- Roma languish in mid-table after two Inter Milan forward Romelu Lukaku was subjected to mon- 1 draw in Sunday’s Rome derby in a dra- straight draws. key chants as he took a penalty at Cagliari — yet the inci- matic Serie A encounter that saw both “We offered an extraordinary show dent was largely overlooked in Italy itself. teams denied a total of six times by the for the public, and a great thrill for me as woodwork and Lazio denied a stoppage a coach, at my first Rome derby,” said CAGLIARI INVOLVED IN A STRING time winner. Fonseca. “They created so many scoring OF SIMILAR INCIDENTS Aleksandar Kolarov put Roma ahead opportunities, buts it’s difficult to play The incident, which happened as Lukaku went to take a in the 17th minute against the run of play against a team like Lazio that presses in penalty in the second half of Inter’s 2-1 win, was the latest in with a well-taken penalty at a colourful every area.” ROME: Lazio’s Spanish midfielder Luis Alberto (R) scores a goal to AS Roma’s a string of racist incidents which have happened at Cagliari Stadio Olimpico, but Luis Alberto The derby took place amid height- Spanish goalkeeper Pau Lopez (L) during the Italian Serie A football match home games. In April, Juventus forward Moise Kean was grabbed the equaliser just before the ened security after the murder of former between Lazio Roma and AS Roma at the Olympic stadium in Rome. —AFP subjected to similar treatment after scoring for the Turin side hour mark to leave Paulo Fonseca with- Lazio ultras chiefs Fabrizio Piscitelli, in a 2-0 win. out a win as new Roma boss. nicknamed “Diabolik”, who was shot Serie A’s disciplinary panel took no action against Lazio missed several chances to seal a dead in the capital last month. Dzeko pressured Sergej Milinkovic- also proved decisive, diving to deny an Cagliari on that occasion, saying the insults were “certainly reprehensible” but that they had limited relevance and per- second win from their two opening Piscitelli was for almost 30 years the Savic into a handball, with the referee Immobile header before the break and boss of Lazio’s hardcore Irriducibili pointing to the spot. Lazio’s Lucas Leiva, Joaquin Correa from close range in the ception. However, it fined Kean for diving in the penalty area games, hitting the woodwork four times earlier in the game. Meanwhile, Cagliari president Tommaso with Roma rattling the frame of the goal (“Die Hards”) fan group, which is notori- Ciro Immobile, Tucu Correa and Marco second half. However Alberto found a Parolo all hit the woodwork, while way through after 58 minutes following Giulini said Kean should shoulder the responsibility for cele- twice. The hosts’ biggest regret was ous for its far-right politics. Lazio fans brating in front of Cagliari supporters. Roma’s Nicolo Zaniolo was denied by good work from both Milinkovic-Savic Manuel Lazzari’s 92nd-minute strike unfurled a banner in his honour before “What happened at the end was because of a celebration being ruled out for offside. the match with “Rest in peace Fabrizio”. the post twice in the first half hour. and Immobile to salvage a deserved which was wrong and it would have happened with any oth- “There’s a bit of bitterness. We had 21 Roma took the early lead after Edin New Roma goalkeeper Pau Lopez point. —AFP er player,” he said. In January last year, Cagliari apologised to Juventus midfielder Blaise Matuidi after he was subjected to racist abuse. In May 2017, Pescara’s Ghanaian midfielder Sulley Van Dijk, Ronaldo, Muntari walked off the pitch, also complaining of racist abuse at the ground. Serie A took no action against Cagliari, saying only around ten fans were involved. In 2010, Cagliari Messi shortlisted were fined 25,000 euros because of racist chanting aimed at for FIFA award Inter Milan forward Samuel Eto’o. CAGLIARI, INTER SILENT ROME: Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk is on the Neither Cagliari nor Inter Milan made any mention of the shortlist to add FIFA’s best player award to his UEFA incident on their official websites after the match. It was Men’s Player of the Year honour. mentioned by Italian media but did not make the front pages The Dutch international denied Cristiano Ronaldo of any of the three main sporting newspapers. and Lionel Messi for the European title last week and the same trio are in the running for the FIFA accolade LUKAKU HAPPY, ACCORDING TO INTER WEBSITE to be announced in Milan on September 23. Inter Milan’s website had some quotes from Lukaku but they, also, did not mention the incident. “I’m very happy Van Dijk starred in Liverpool’s triumphant about these first two league victories and about tonight’s Champions League campaign.