04 January 2023 , 22:42
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Lecce defender Samuel Umtiti left the pitch in tears after being subjected to horrific racist abuse from fans of Lazio.
Lecce came from behind to secure an impressive comeback victory over the Champions League chasing side, who took the lead through Ciro Immobile’s early strike before goals from Gabriel Strefezza and Lorenzo Colombo turned the game on its head.
However, the match was overshadowed by a section of Lazio’s travelling support racially abusing Lecce players including Umtiti – who joined the Italian club from Barcelona last summer but has endured a few tough years as a footballer after helping France to their World Cup triumph in 2018.
Umtiti and his teammate Lameck Banda, a Zambian international forward, were targeted with racist chanting from Lazio supporters during the encounter. Umtiti left the pitch at the end of the game in tears, as fans of Lecce chanted his name.
After the match, his club tweeted with the message: “Racist chants have been overwhelmed by songs of encouragement! All the yellow and red Lecce fans started shouting one name: Umtiti.”
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The match was stopped by the referee for several minutes as the stadium announcer intervened, acknowledging the chanting from the away fans and demanding that it ceased. That resulted in the home fans chanting Umtiti’s name and Lecce president Saverio Sticchi Damiani claimed that the defender asked for the game to eventually resume.
Umtiti was making just his sixth Serie A appearance for Lecce vs Lazio (Maurizio Lagana/Getty Images)Sticchi Damiani embraced Umtiti at the end of the game, and explained: “I hugged Samuel, as I do with all his teammates. After each match, regardless of the result, I want to greet the boys and the staff.
“When the referee stopped the game, waiting for the announcer to call for an end to the racist chants, Umtiti asked for the game to resume because he wanted to respond to the insults he received on the pitch. He reacted like a true champion.”
Sticchi Damiani also praised his club’s fans for their support of Umtiti but criticised the officials for not stopping the game earlier after his teammate Banda was subjected to racist taunts from the travelling supporters.
Umtiti moved to Lecce on loan for the 2022-23 season from Barcelona – with Wednesday’s clash against Lazio just his sixth Serie A appearance of the campaign to date.