Atalanta hit with stand closure for Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic racist abuse
Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic during their match against Atalanta last weekend, Atalanta has been hit with the closure of one stand for their next Serie A game. The Italian league announced in a statement on Tuesday that the Curva Nord section of the Gewiss Stadium, which is known as the section where Atalanta's hardcore fans stand, will be closed for "boorish, racially discriminatory chants" towards the Serbian striker.
During the match, referee Daniele Doveri had to briefly stop the game after Atalanta fans directed racist chants at Vlahovic, using the Italian word for gypsy, which is often used as a derogatory term for players from the Balkans and Eastern Europe, regardless of their ethnicity. Vlahovic then scored a goal in stoppage time and celebrated by taunting the home fans, which earned him a booking.
According to Serie A, 80% of the stand joined in with the chants, but they also noted that Atalanta players and the rest of the stadium tried to get the offenders to stop. The league's disciplinary committee made the decision to close the stand in question after reviewing video evidence of the incident.
This latest incident adds to a growing list of racist incidents in Italian football, which have prompted calls for stronger action to be taken to combat the problem. Last month, Roma was fined €20,000 after fans directed racist chants towards AC Milan's Tiemoue Bakayoko, while in March, Inter Milan's Romelu Lukaku was subjected to monkey chants by Cagliari fans.
Football authorities in Italy have been criticised for their handling of the issue, with many arguing that fines and stadium closures are not enough to deter fans from engaging in racist behaviour. There have been calls for harsher punishments, such as point deductions and even forfeiting matches, to be imposed on clubs whose fans engage in racist behaviour.
In response to the incident, Atalanta released a statement condemning the racist behaviour and apologising to Vlahovic and Juventus. The statement read: "Atalanta deeply condemns the discriminatory chants that took place during the game against Juventus on Sunday. We apologise to Dusan Vlahovic and Juventus, as well as to all those who have been offended by this unacceptable behaviour."
Vlahovic also spoke out against the abuse, posting a message on his Instagram account that read: "I am proud of my origins and I will always be. Racism is not acceptable and has no place in football or society."
The incident has once again highlighted the need for football authorities and clubs to take more effective measures to combat racism in the sport.
While the closure of one stand may be seen as a step in the right direction, many argue that stronger action is needed if the problem is to be eradicated from the sport.
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