"Interista diventi pazzo", an old mocking song from the fans of AC Milan against the local rivals Inter Milan: "Inter-fan, you're going crazy!" Initially aimed at the failure of the Italian first division, the question now is whether the old saying has finally come true.
Because the inter-fan curve "L'Urlo della Nord" published an amazing Facebook statement on Tuesday. It made them feel compelled to explain to their own player Romelu Lukaku what racism was and is not.
This was preceded by the away game at Cagliari Calcio, which had come to monkey sounds and racist cussing towards Lukaku. The Belgian had then condemned racism on Twitter - and asked clubs and associations to finally do something about it. Finally, write the year 2019.
#SayNoToRacism pic.twitter.com/Kwl8zFUYKJ
- R. Lukuku Bolingoli9 (@ RomeluLukaku9) September 2, 2019Many fans and players joined him, including Borussia Dortmund's Jadon Sancho, who told the English newspaper "Sun" that nobody wants to "play football to be labeled like that, it takes away your confidence and love for the sport."
"The Italians are not racists"
The inter-fans claim in their statement, Lukaku have just misunderstood the opposing fans. In Italy, football is the only way to get past the opponent with all possible means, to irritate him, so that he plays worse. But this has nothing to do with "real racism". Italians are not racists, the problem exists especially in northern Europe, one is a multi-ethnic curve, but also reserves the right to insult opposing players - if necessary, even with monkey sounds, but which are not "real racism".
At the beginning, "L'Urlo della Nord" claims to respond to the "media theater" of the "false moralists" with their "ignorance" and their "alarmism" not between "real racism" and an "instrumental" racism accusation would differentiate - better known in Germany as the "racist club".
A long right tradition
This rhetoric is no coincidence. For a long time the Curva Nord has the reputation of having a right-wing spirit. Although there is no official confession - and of course, not all the right-turners are included - but already the oldest and best-known ultra group Boys SAN ("Squadra d'Azione Nerazurre" - "Black Blue Action Units"), a reference to the "action units" during Benito Mussolini's dictatorship, was one of the first with explicitly right alignment.
The fan-friendship with Lazio and the right-wing extremists "Irriducibili" (who were two different groups at times both at Inter and in Rome) are just as strong an indication of a right attitude as the relationship with Varese Calcio. There, the Ultragruppe under "Blood & Honor Varese" - a well-known international right-wing network, which is banned in Germany.
The right-hand bend is right
The football blogger and fan expert Kai Tippmann, who lives in Italy, sees the statement as an "embarrassing attempt to explain: 'We have always done so, we will not let that take us away now.'"
"The only argument they have is repression," he tells SPIEGEL. According to the inter-fans, they are "no longer singing" and "say nothing" - it was only about the humiliation of the opponent. "That's racist, of course, because this kind of shaming song only hits black players and does not want to hit them in the head."
So far the club has not officially positioned itself. Inter wants to rise again after the fight with ex-striker Mauro Icardi this season. It should help Lukaku, who came as Alexis Sánchez in the summer of Manchester United.
Apparently you want to stifle any new trouble between curve and striker in the bud by spreading the mantle of silence. In October there will be a major anti-racism campaign in Serie A - Inter will also participate. You will hardly be able to avoid critical questions at the latest.
