Sadly, meetings between Juventus and Fiorentina are often marred by shameful incidents in the stands, and last night was no exception.
Dusan Vlahovic made his return to the Artemio Franchi and was once again the target of racial abuse.
The 23-year-old made a name for himself during his time in Tuscany. But in January 2022, he made the switch to Juventus on a mega-money transfer.
While the Fiorentina management was happy to collect the cash, the fans were frustrated to see yet another idol trading the Purple jersey with the Black-and-White stripes.
That being said, football animosity can never justify racism.
According to ilBianconero, a section of Fiorentina supporters aimed shameful chants towards Vlahovic, calling him “a gypsy”, a derogatory term referencing his Balkans origins.
As the source tells it, the Serbian went beyond the advertising boards to give away his shirt to a young fan after the match. But other Fiorentina supporters told him to stay away.
Eventually, a steward did well to stop him from getting any closer. This prompted more racial chants from a section of the home supporters.
In the end, the striker walked away with a mocking smile while sarcastically applauding the fans, saying “Well done!”.
Juve FC say
This isn’t the first time that Vlahovic has been racially insulted. An almost identical incident occurred last season in Bergamo against Atalanta.
But as long as the authorities’ reaction remains minimal, racial incidents will continue to plague Italian football.