Wear it like an armor — Didier Drogba to Lukaku

Didier Drogba, former Chelsea legend, has shown support for Inter Milan striker Romelu Lukaku after he was subjected to racist chants from some Juventus fans during Tuesday’s Coppa Italia semi-final first-leg tie. Drogba acknowledged Lukaku’s strength and talent as the reasons for the Juventus fans’ discriminatory behavior.

Lukaku, who is currently on loan from Chelsea, was brought on as a substitute in the 69th minute in Turin. He scored a stoppage-time penalty to cancel out Juventus winger Juan Cuadrado’s opener, ending the match in a 1-1 draw. However, after scoring the penalty, Lukaku put his finger to his lips to silence the home crowd and was shown a second yellow card for what was deemed “excessive celebrating.”

In response to the incident, Drogba took to Twitter on Wednesday to express his support for Lukaku. He wrote, “When your talent and strength starts hurting them and you’re becoming bigger and better, their stupidity arises @romelulukaku.”

This is not the first time Lukaku has been subjected to racist abuse in Italy. In 2019, he was racially abused by Cagliari fans while playing for Inter Milan. Since then, the Belgian forward has been vocal about the need to address racism in football and has called on authorities to take stronger action against those who engage in discriminatory behavior.

The incident has once again brought attention to the issue of racism in football and the need for continued efforts to combat it. Many have expressed support for Lukaku and called for stronger action to be taken against those who engage in racist behavior.