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Cagliari avoid punishment for alleged racist chants

Romelu Lukaku appeared to be subjected to monkey chants
Romelu Lukaku appeared to be subjected to monkey chants

Cagliari have avoided punishment after supporters allegedly aimed racist abuse at Inter Milan striker Romelu Lukaku earlier this month.

Former Manchester United player Lukaku appeared to be subjected to monkey chants as he prepared to take - and score - a match-winning penalty in Inter's 2-1 Serie A victory on 1 September at the Sardegna Arena.

However, following an investigation the Italian Football Federation's sporting justice panel has ruled that the chants could not be considered discriminatory in terms of their "scale and realisation".

A statement from Lega Serie A said on Tuesday that the panel had therefore decided not to apply sanctions to Cagliari.

Cagliari police told FIGC investigators that "only on the occasion" of Lukaku's penalty were "chants, shouts and whistles aimed at the opposition athlete as he prepared to take his shot".

Individual spectators were observed chanting at the Belgian but, because of the volume of the noise emanating from the stand, it was not clear what was being said and so it could not be proven that it was discriminatory.

Cagliari were, meanwhile, fined €5,000 after fans threw bottles onto the Stadio Ennio Tardini pitch during Sunday's 3-1 league win at Parma. 

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