Angry Juventus supporters screamed abuse and pelted their under-performing idols with beer bottles and eggs on Sunday.
The Juventus team were confronted by crowds of fans ahead of their Serie A home clash against Atalanta as they left their team hotel to board a bus to take them to Turin’s Stadio Olimpico. Three players in particular were targeted - Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro, French full-back Jonathan Zebina and Brazil midfielder Felipe Melo.
Zebina was shown on TV to have been punched on the neck by a fan.
PHOTO: EPA
He later claimed there were racial overtones to the abuse he suffered. Zebina has had a running feud with Juventus fans since flashing his middle finger at a group of supporters after being sent-off against Fulham last week in the team’s dispiriting Europa League exit.
“Of course,” he said when asked if the abuse was racial. “I’m impetuous and I talk back. That ugly gesture of mine against Fulham was at those fans who give me stick for that reason [racism].”
“This is terrible for the image of Italian football which doesn’t deserve this. The Federation needs to do something. I will probably stay and live in Italy [after retiring] but this [racism] needs to be fought with more force, Italy deserves more than this,” he said.
Police later said that they had arrested a fan on suspicion of assaulting Zebina.
Fans continued their protests inside the ground, meeting the kick-off against Atalanta with a wall of silence while around 300 fans staged a separate protest by staying outside the ground for the start of the game.
Although Juventus went on to win the game 2-1, they still have a record of 11 defeats in 31 league games and have been bundled out of the Champions League, Europa League and Italian Cup.
Elsewhere, AC Milan wasted the latest in a series of chances to boost their Serie A title hopes when they were held 1-1 at home by Lazio.
Marco Borriello, standing in as penalty taker with Ronaldinho suspended, converted from the spot on 18 minutes for the home side despite ’keeper Fernando Muslera getting a hand to the ball.
Milan struggled to create other chances and were pegged back when Luca Antonini failed to clear a cross and Swiss winger Stephan Lichtsteiner scrambled in the leveler on 32 minutes.
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