This archive report was first published on 16 November 2019.
Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku has spoken out against racism in Italian football, saying he anticipated the issue when he moved to Inter Milan at the start of the season.
On the eve of Belgium's Euro 2020 match against Russia in St Petersburg, Lukaku stated that he had been prepared for the racism he would face in Italy, having spoken to other footballers about the issue.
'I knew it would happen. I was prepared because I had spoken to other footballers about it,' Lukaku said in a rare appearance before the media.
Lukaku was the target of offensive chants from the home crowd in Cagliari in September, his second match in Italy, which he condemned in a social media post.
He has since moved on from the incident, saying 'I'm having a good time in Italy. The people on the street are very good to me and it's on that, that I want to focus.'
However, Lukaku is still calling for action from UEFA to address the issue of racism in Italian football, saying 'Uefa have to act to stamp it out. You can hold up a board that says, 'No to Racism,' but it makes no sense if no action is taken.'
Lukaku moved to Inter Milan in August from Manchester United for a reported transfer fee of around 80 million euros ($88 million).
