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An Inter Milan fan joined talkSPORT on Wednesday to send a public apology to Romelu Lukaku and condemn the racial abuse he suffered at Cagliari.
Lukaku became the latest black footballer to be racially abused at the Sardegna Arena.
The Belgium striker was targeted with monkey chants by the home supporters when he scored a match-winning penalty for his new club in Sunday’s Serie A clash.
Cagliari supporters have been widely condemned, with the likes of Moise Kean, Blaise Matuidi and Sully Muntari receiving similar treatment on their visits to the Sardinian club in recent seasons.
However, in an open letter written to Lukaku a group of Inter fans defended Cagliari supporters over their abuse of the new £72m signing.
In a stunning statement, the Inter ultras group L’Urlo della Nord said the chanting directed at the former Manchester United man was ‘not truly racist’ and is instead ‘a sign of respect’.
They even told Lukaku, ‘when you declare that racism is a problem in Italy you just help the repression against all football fans, including us, and you contribute to create a problem that is not really there’.
The letter has sparked a strong reaction across European football, with talkSPORT host Clinton Morrison saying Lukaku should now consider leaving Italy if fans truly believe racist chanting is acceptable.
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But Francesco, a member of the Inter Milan supporters’ club in London, insists not all fans share this view and says the ultras’ letter was in bad taste.
Speaking to talkSPORT host Jim White on Wednesday, the Italian fan said: “I am a member of the Inter Milan supporters’ club in London and I’d like apologise to Lukaku.
“We don’t agree with this letter. They should have written a letter of apology to condemn the incident. That would have been the right thing to do.
“Saying this, I do not believe all Italian fans are racist.
Inter Milan ultras' letter to Lukaku IN FULL:
“Hi Romelu, we are writing you on behalf of Curva Nord, yes the guys who welcomed you at your arrival in Milan.
“We are really sorry you thought that what happened in Cagliari was racist.
“You have to understand that Italy is not like many other north European countries where racism is a REAL problem.
“We understand that it could have seemed racist to you, but it is not like that.
“In Italy we use some ‘ways’ only to ‘help our teams’ and to try to make our opponents nervous, not for racism, but to mess them up.
“We are a multi-ethnic fans organisation and we have always welcomed players from everywhere. However, we have always used that ‘way’ with other teams’ players in the past and we probably will in the future.
“We are not racist and so are not the Cagliari fans.
“You have to understand that in all Italian stadiums people cheer for their teams, but at the same time they use to cheer against the opponents, not for racism, but to ‘help’ their own team.
“Please consider this attitude of Italian fans as a form of respect for the fact they are afraid of you for the goals you might score against their teams and not because they hate you or they are racist.
“True racism is a completely different story and all Italian football fans know it very well.
“When you declare that racism is a problem to be fought in Italy you just help the repression against all football fans including us and you contribute to create a problem that is not really there, not in the way that is perceived in other countries.
“We are very sensitive and inclusive with all people. We guarantee you that in our organisation there are many fans of different races or fans coming from other parts of Italy that also use this way to [provoke] their opponents even when the have the same races or are coming from the same areas.
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“Please help us to clarify what racism really is and that Italian fans are not racist.
“The fight to REAL racism has to begin in schools, not in the stadiums, fans are just fans and they behave in different ways when inside the stadium as opposed to when they are in real life.
“I guarantee you that what they do or say to an opponent player of another race is not what they would ever say to someone they would meet in real life.
“Italian fans may not be perfect and we can understand your frustration with these expressions but they are definitely not meant to be racist.
“Once again… Welcome Romelu.”
“In the past as a supporter of your own team you would boo the opposition players, independently of where they come from, but I don’t do it anymore as this can be perceived as racist by some opposition players.
“So what should happen is fans should have another kind of noise to make in order to put off the opposition player.”
Ian Holloway reacts as Romelu Lukaku is racially abused in Italy
Listen to Francesco’s full chat with Jim White on talkSPORT, above…