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Samuel Umtiti after the game against Lazio
Photo:
Maurizio Lagana/Getty Images
US Lecce's Samuel Umtiti and Lameck Banda have been racially abused by fans from the capital during the Serie A match against Lazio.
At times the game was interrupted by the referee in the second half, as the "Gazzetta dello Sport" first reported.
According to the newspaper, Umtiti, France's 2018 world champion, left the pitch in tears.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino then expressed his support for Umtiti and Banda.
"Let's shout it loud and clear: NO TO RACISM," he wrote on Instagram: "May the vast majority of fans who are good people stand up and silence all racists once and for all."
According to Lecce President Saverio Sticchi Damiani, Umtiti "asked to continue the game" after the game was interrupted and the stadium announcer called for an end to the abuse: "He wanted to respond to the insults on the pitch.
He reacted like a real champion.«
Lecce fans try to drown out the shouts
The home fans chanted Umtiti's name to drown out the insults.
»The racist chants were overlaid with cheers!
All the yellow and red Lecce fans started shouting one name: Umtiti," the club tweeted.
Umtiti, currently on loan from FC Barcelona, posted a message on Instagram saying: 'Just football, fun, joy.
The rest doesn't count."
US Lecce won the game 2-1 against the current fifth-placed team.
Racist abuse is common in Italian football, and fascist fan groups are widespread throughout the country.
The Lazio Ultras "Irriducibili" have a hard core of supporters with ties to the far right.
ngo/sid/Reuters