An Italian journalist was kicked off a TV programme for his remarks about Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku.
Luigi Furini, an Inter fan and journalist who has been a part of the Qui Studio a Voi Stadio programme since 2010, called the Chelsea forward a nigger on the Telelombardia channel. He refused to apologise, noting that the word is often used in rap, and as a result, he was banned from the show, Football Italia reports. The source notes that the word was used, which is derogatory in Italian.
"Words with racist connotations are not jokes (regardless of their etymology). Mistakes and misunderstandings are unacceptable to us. And belated apologies are not enough.
We regret that our colleague Furini made such a serious mistake. Immediate action is inevitable," wrote Fabio Ravazzani, CEO of Telelombardia.