F1 star Lewis Hamilton shows his support to Chelsea loanee Romelu Lukaku after he was racially abused by Juventus fans
F1 superstar Lewis Hamilton recently extended his support for Chelsea loanee Romelu Lukaku after the Belgian striker was racially abused. The incident took place during Juventus' 1-1 draw against Inter Milan in the first leg of the Italian Cup semi-final.
Lukaku scored a last-ditch penalty and performed a celebration by asking the crowd to stay silent. He was abused before and during the penalty kick. Lukaku released a statement on social media after the incident that read:
"History repeats it’s Been through it in 2019.. and 2023 again.. I hope the league really take actions for real this time because this beautiful game should be enjoyed by everyone…Thank you for the supportive messages. F*ck racism."
The F1 driver has now shared a photo of Chelsea loanee Lukaku sushing the fans after he was the subject of vile chants from fans. He became the latest among a host of sporting personalities to display their support for Lukaku.
Hamilton has previously spoken about his experience of dealing with racism earlier in life. The driver told the On Purpose podcast (via Express):
"School was the most traumatising and most difficult part of my life, I was already being bullied at the age of six. At that particular school I was one of three kids of colour and just bigger, stronger, bullying kids were throwing me around a lot of the time."
He added:
"I felt the system was up against me and I was swimming against the tide. There were a lot of things I suppressed. I didn’t feel I could go home and tell my parents that these kids kept calling me the N-word or I got bullied or beaten up at school today. I didn’t want my dad to think I was not strong."
Chelsea recently appointed Frank Lampard as the interim boss
Frank Lampard will be in charge of Chelsea until the end of the season after Graham Potter was sacked earlier this week. The former player and manager of the club has been appointed on an interim basis.
The Blues are set to look for a new manager at the end of the season, with Julian Nagelsmann, Mauricio Pochettino, and Luis Enrique among the frontrunners.
Lampard, for now, will have to direct the team from a difficult environment. Chelsea are 11th in the Premier League at the moment.
They also have a mega UEFA Champions League last-eight showdown against Real Madrid coming up.