Pioli unhappy with Lukaku altercation in Inter clash but insists: “Ibra is certainly not a racist”

By Akhil Prasad -

Milan’s encounter with Inter in the Coppa Italia quarter final was the club’s second defeat in a row, after the 0-3 loss at home to Atalanta in the Serie A. The showdown between both the clubs always brings about talking points and so did this one.

Just before half time in the Milan derby, the two giants faced off in a relentless war of words after Alessio Romagnoli fouled Lukaku, before Zlatan stepped in to give his piece of mind to the frustrated Belgian.

What ensued was an ugly spat between the two, with both players getting away with just a yellow card and Ibra being accused of racist comments. Ibra was later sent off in the second half due to a separate incident, a challenge involving Inter defender Aleksander Kolarov.

Ahead of Rossoneri’s next clash against Bologna at the Stadio Renato dall’Ara, Milan manager Stefano Pioli spoke about the heated clash between Romelu Lukaku and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

When asked if Ibra has been treated differently from Lukaku, The coach made sure to point out that racism does not have a place in football and such things happen often. 

What happened is not nice. I do not justify what happened, but they are things that can happen on the pitch. Ibra is certainly not a racist, now let’s put a point on this story. The club has always been in the forefront to fight discrimination,” Pioli commented.

Speaking of Ibrahimovic’s stand at the moment, Pioli said: “He is sorry for the red card, but very excited and determined for tomorrow’s match.”

Milan visit Bologna in a bid to restore their form after two consecutive defeats and look to extend their two point lead in Serie A.


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Tags AC Milan Stefano Pioli Zlatan Ibrahimovic
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