Juventus’ Italian teenage forward Moise Kean reacted defiantly after suffering racist abuse from the stands during Tuesday’s Serie A match at Cagliari.
The 19-year-old held his arms aloft after scoring Juve’s second in the 2-0 win, seemingly in response to chants, and was subjected to further abuse.
Afterwards he wrote on Instagram: “The best way to respond to racism.”
Boss Massimiliano Allegri and defender Leonardo Bonucci said Kean should take some of the blame for his celebration.
“He shouldn’t have celebrated in that manner,” said Allegri. “He is a young man and he has to learn, but certain things from the crowd also shouldn’t be heard.”
Italy international Bonucci – who scored the opening goal – told Sky Sport Italia: “You celebrate goals with your team-mates. He could have done it differently.
“I think the blame is 50-50. Moise should not have done that and the Curva [fans] should not have reacted in that way.”
Kean’s Juventus team-mate Blaise Matuidi protested to the referee after the abuse and threatened to walk off.
Matuidi complained in 2018 he suffered racist abuse at the same stadium on the island of Sardinia.
The France midfielder later posted a photograph of himself and Kean, who has Ivorian parents, on Instagram with the caption: “BIANCO + NERI (white and black) #NoToRacism.”
After Kean scored in the 85th minute, play was stopped for about three minutes and a warning was broadcast to the crowd – the first step in the three-step procedure which ultimately leads to the teams being led off the field.
Cagliari captain Luca Ceppitelli went over to the home fans behind the goal, appealing for the chants to stop,
The home side’s president, Tommaso Giulini, blamed Kean, who has scored two goals in three games for Italy, for his celebration.
“I heard mostly boos, if they started making animal noises then we were in the wrong,” he said. “What happened at the end was because of a celebration which was wrong and it would have happened with any other player.”
Earlier on Tuesday, Uefa President Aleksander Ceferin asked referees to be “brave” and stop matches if there was abuse from “loud, aggressive and primitive” people.
Serie A leaders Juventus are now 18 points clear of second-placed Napoli and need just 10 points for an eighth straight Serie A title.
source bbc
