Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Romelu Lukaku were involved in a heated confrontation during Inter’s 2-1 victory in the Coppa Italia against AC Milan last Tuesday; both players received one match bans. Ibrahimovic denied using racist language in the altercation.
The Italian Football Federation is investigating last week’s squabble between Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Romelu Lukaku during the Milan derby.
Former Manchester United teammates both received yellow cards after an argument and a direct confrontation between the two of them just before half-time, which continued into the tunnel during half-time.
Referee Paolo Valeri was questioned by prosecutor Giuseppe Chin to explain the punishment inflicted on Tuesday during the quarter-finals of the Italian Cup.
The pair could be seen and heard exchanging insults as Lukaku had to be restrained by his teammates as he tried to take on the Swedish striker.
Ibrahimovic, who had given Milan the lead in the first half, was sent off after collecting a second yellow card after half-time, before Christian Eriksen scored a recovery time for Inter who sent them forward with a 2- 1.
AC Milan striker Ibrahimovic and Inter Milan striker Lukaku have been suspended for one match following the incident.
Ibrahimovic was disqualified after receiving two yellow cards, one of them for the confrontation with Lukaku, disqualified because it was his second yellow card in this Coppa Italia.
Lukaku will miss the first leg of the semi-finals against Juventus on Tuesday, while Ibrahimovic will have to miss his next match of the competition.
Ibrahimovic denied using racist language in the altercation.
In social media post last Wednesday, the Swede said: “In the world of Zlatan there is no place for racism.”
AC Milan’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic said on his Twitter Wednesday: ‘There is no place for racism in Zlatan’s world. We are all of the same race, we are all the same ”. He later added: “We are all players some better than others”.
