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Coppa Italia

Bonucci: Conte-Agnelli clash was bad, but these things can happen

Conte and Agnelli clashed on Tuesday during the second leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final in Turin, a match that ended 0-0 to see Juve prevail 2-1 on aggregate.

Footage appeared to show the ex-Juve boss making a gesture that was reportedly towards Agnelli, who could be heard on a pitch-side microphone making comments aimed at the touchline following the end of the game.

Speaking to RAI after the draw, Conte said Juventus should "tell the truth" over what unfolded, adding: "They should be more polite in my opinion. They need more sportsmanship and respect for those who work."

Juventus defender Bonucci understands that while those involved in top-level football must set an example to the audience watching on, it is not always easy to stay calm in such high-pressure situations.

"There is little to add, the images speak clearly," Bonucci said in an interview with Sky Sport Italia. "What happened is bad, but it is not up to me to judge why it happened or what had to be done.

"Obviously we must always be an example, but sometimes it is difficult. When you step onto the pitch the environmental situation does not make you think.

"In some moments, adrenaline and tension make you become something different than what you would like to be, episodes like this happen, amplified by the empty stage with the sideline microphones that can transmit a sneeze."

Juve had won the first leg 2-1 at San Siro, having previously lost 2-0 at the same venue in January when going up against the Nerazzurri in Serie A action.

Bonucci points to that league defeat as a turning point for the reigning champions of Italy, as Juventus have not lost in seven games since that setback. Their reward for progressing in the Coppa Italia is a final showdown with Atalanta, which takes place in May.

"It represents a small step towards another goal, which is to bring home the trophy. It will be difficult, because Atalanta have been one of the best Italian teams for several years, they have also shown it in Europe," the defender said.

"It will be an unprecedented and complicated final, but there will be the desire to take home the cup.

"For the group it is yet another confirmation that after the match in Milan with Inter something different has taken place in us as a team and as individuals and this bodes well."

Juve switch their focus back to Serie A this weekend, though Bonucci is an injury doubt for Saturday's game away at Napoli due to a muscle issue.

Midfielder Arthur also appears set to miss the fixture after the club revealed he has "the presence of a post-traumatic calcification at the level of the interosseous membrane" in his right leg. The Brazilian will be monitored on a daily basis, though it is unclear when he will return to action.

Calhanoglu angered by lack of VAR on Rebic red card

Friday's semi-final second leg at the Allianz Stadium was the first professional match in Italy in three months due to the coronavirus-enforced suspension.

The game finished 0-0, with Juve's away goal from the 1-1 draw in the first leg at San Siro in February enough to send them through to a final against Inter or Napoli on Wednesday.

The Bianconeri should have taken the lead in the 16th minute when Orsato awarded a penalty for a handball by Andrea Conti following a trip to the pitchside monitor.

Cristiano Ronaldo's spot-kick came back off the upright and 17 seconds later Rebic was shown a straight red card for a dangerous lunge on Danilo, who he caught in the chest with a high foot.

Calhanoglu was frustrated Orsato did not follow the same process for that incident.

"We are quite angry, because if the referee checked VAR for Ronaldo's penalty he had to check it for Rebic's red card," Calhangolu told Rai Sport.

"We're cross, but we played well and the only thing missing was a goal.

"Over the two legs it's difficult to say who deserved to go through. I think if we had [suspended trio] Zlatan [Ibrahimovic], Samu [Castillejo] and Theo [Hernandez] here we'd have been stronger.

"It's natural that games with Juve are tough, but they were very even."

Milan's only remaining avenue for European qualification is through Serie A.

Just four points separates Stefano Pioli's side in seventh with Cagliari in 12th and the Rossoneri boss was gutted by their elimination.

"It's a pity as this was our objective and we didn't manage it, so now we must qualify for Europe via Serie A," he said.

"It was a very narrow difference over the two legs, it's just that by conceding at home we were then forced to score in the second leg.

"We held out exceptionally in defence, especially the centre-backs, and that shows us we can be solid, because we need these skills going forward for the rest of the season.

"It's disappointing. We really wanted to play the final. What we need now is to be more consistent, because so far this season we haven't taken home the results we deserved, as our finishing hasn't been up to scratch and we didn't convert enough of our chances."

Coppa Italia semi-final between Juventus and Milan postponed due to coronavirus fears

After a Prime Ministerial Decree outlined restrictions imposed on sporting events across the country until March 8 on Sunday, Juve v Milan had initially been set to go ahead on Wednesday without fans from the most affected regions.

However, following a meeting attended by Turin mayor Chiara Appendino, prefect Claudio Paolomba, club representatives and local ministries on Tuesday, the decision was taken to stop the match from going ahead altogether, with the two teams all square at 1-1 from the first leg.

A Juventus statement read: "The game has been postponed to a date yet to be confirmed, as announced by Lega Serie A, after taking action from the order of the Prefecture of Turin n.14801 / 2019 / Area1 of 3 March 2020, which was issued after today's [Tuesday] meeting came to a conclusion."

The Serie A champions' Derby d'Italia against Inter was one of five Serie A fixtures postponed over the weekend, with the games having originally been scheduled to take place behind closed doors before being moved to May 13.

Media reports now claim the Italian government is considering postponing all sporting events for a month to mitigate the impact of coronavirus' in Europe's worst-affected country.

The virus has reportedly infected more than 2,500 people in Italy, with 79 having died.

Coronavirus: Serie A to resume with games in hand, Coppa Italia final on June 17

Italy's top tier was on Thursday given the green light to return, as sports minister Vincenzo Spadafora announced the intention is to resume the fixtures from June 20.

During his statement, Spadafora confirmed the Coppa Italia would take place the week before, though no specific dates were set for the last three matches – the two semi-finals and the showpiece.

But a Lega Serie A statement released on Friday said there was a unanimous agreement that the remaining games in hand from matchday 25 will go ahead on the first weekend.

It was also confirmed the Coppa Italia final shall be played on June 17, though dates for the semi-finals are still to be determined.

The statement read: "The assembly of Lega Serie A met today [Friday] in the presence of all 20 associated clubs in a video conference.

"The clubs welcomed the green light to the return of Serie A communicated yesterday by minister Spadafora and unanimously voted on the dispute of the four matches of the 25th matchday (Atalanta v Sassuolo, Hellas Verona v Cagliari, Inter v Sampdoria and Torino v Parma) on the weekend of June 20-21 and the planning of matchday 27 starting from Monday, June 22.

"Furthermore, welcoming the wish of minister Spadafora, the sporting activity of the 2019-2020 season will resume immediately with the Coppa Italia, of which the final is scheduled for June 17.

"Dates and times of the matches will be announced by Lega Serie A in the coming days."

Juventus were a point clear of Lazio at the top of the table with 12 games remaining when the league season was suspended in March.

They were due to face Milan in the second leg of the Coppa semi-final in Turin on March 4, with the first leg having finished 1-1.

The other semi-final was also finely poised, with Napoli 1-0 up against Inter ahead of their second leg at the San Paolo.

Fiorentina 1-2 Inter: Martinez the hero as Nerazzurri fight back to retain Coppa Italia

Martinez produced two fine first-half finishes – the first for his 100th Inter goal – as the Nerazzurri rallied following Nicolas Gonzalez's third-minute opener at a raucous Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday.

Vincenzo Italiano's Viola piled on the pressure after the break, but Inter captain Samir Handanovic made a string of crucial saves, the most impressive of them to deny Luka Jovic.

That rear-guard action from Inter ensured they clung on to retain the trophy, and with a Champions League final against Manchester City to come next month, the Nerazzurri are in the hunt for a double.

It was a dream start for Fiorentina. Jonathan Ikone found space to send in a low cross from the left, allowing his opposite winger Gonzalez to tap home at the far post.

Edin Dzeko missed two chances to level for Inter, but it was his partner-in-crime Martinez who stepped up just before the half-hour mark, latching onto Marcelo Brozovic's pass to finish low across goal.

Martinez doubled up just eight minutes later, volleying Nicolo Barella's delicate cross beyond Pietro Terracciano.

Arthur Cabral headed straight at Handanovic from close range, before Inter substitute Romelu Lukaku tested Terracciano at the other end.

Handanovic remained alert to deny Gonzalez a double of his own from a tight angle, while Robin Gosens somehow failed to prod Lukaku's cross into a gaping net to kill the contest.

Jovic had two chances to send the game to extra time after entering the fray, but Handanovic thwarted the former Real Madrid striker with a brilliant one-on-one save before watching a header from the Serbian spin just wide as Inter claimed a ninth Coppa crown.

Gattuso united Napoli – De Laurentiis hails boss after Coppa Italia triumph

Gattuso guided Napoli to their first title since 2014 courtesy of a 4-2 penalty shoot-out win against Juve in Rome on Wednesday.

Penalties were needed in the final following a scoreless draw behind closed doors in the Italian capital midweek.

De Laurentiis lauded the transformation overseen by former Milan midfielder and coach Gattuso, who replaced Carlo Ancelotti in December amid the club's struggles.

"It was in the air. Since Rino Gattuso arrived, many things changed here and everyone came together around him, around the club, around the idea of Napoli," De Laurentiis told RAI Sport.

"After all, at the end of the day, Napoli are the only club capable of contrasting Juventus for this title.

"We beat them in the Coppa Italia in 2012, we beat them in the Supercoppa, and so far we haven't been able to beat them only in Serie A."

Napoli, who defeated Inter en route to the Coppa Italia decider, will restart their Serie A campaign against Hellas Verona on Tuesday following the coronavirus pandemic.

Gattuso's Napoli are sixth in the standings through 26 games, six points behind Roma and nine adrift of fourth-placed Atalanta.

Inter donate €100,000 to coronavirus research

The Nerazzurri are donating to the Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences at the Sacco Hospital in Milan to help combat the outbreak.

It comes as the coronavirus wreaks havoc after the announcement that Serie A and all other sporting events in Italy will take place behind closed doors until April 3 following a government decree.

Serie A matches have been called off over the past two weekends, along with the midweek Coppa Italia semi-finals.

"Inter has an indissoluble bond with the city of Milan and is proud of the dedication with which all the staff of the Sacco Hospital are dealing with the exceptional situation," said President Steven Zhang.

"Since the beginning of the Coronavirus emergency we have followed with particular attention and apprehension the evolution of the situation, both as a Club and as a shareholder, stressing in all locations as the only priority was public health and safety.

"It is for this reason that FC Internazionale Milano feels the duty to support the Sacco Hospital."

There are 2,502 confirmed cases of the virus in Italy, with 80 deaths.

There have been 3,199 fatalities worldwide.

 

 

Inter Milan ease past Lazio to set up Supercoppa Italiana final against Napoli

The Serie A leaders will play reigning Italian champions Napoli, 3-0 winners over Fiorentina on Thursday, in Monday’s final after goals from Marcus Thuram, Hakan Calhanoglu and Davide Frattesi earned victory in an emphatically one-sided clash.

Inter came flying out of the blocks in the Saudi Arabian capital and, in a sign of things to come, fashioned three decent openings inside the first seven minutes for Thuram (two) and Nicolo Barella.

They failed to take advantage of those but did not have to wait much longer for the breakthrough, Thuram getting the goal he had been threatening in the 17th minute.

Alessandro Bastoni’s low cross to the front post was flicked between his legs by Federico Dimarco – perhaps attempting an audacious effort on goal himself – which ended up taking four Lazio defenders out of play and leaving the unmarked Thuram with a simple tap-in.

That was no more than Simone Inzaghi’s team deserved and they should really have been out of sight by half-time after peppering the Lazio goal with shots and crosses.

Matteo Darmian tested Lazio goalkeeper Ivan Provedel, who later spilled Lautaro Martinez’s deflected shot but reacted well to push the ball behind before Thuram could slot home his second of the night.

Inter came even closer in the 36th minute when, following a brilliant move down the left, Dimarco picked out Barella in the middle and the Italy midfielder smashed a volley against the top of the crossbar.

Darmian also blazed wide at the far post and Thuram saw a goalbound shot blocked as the one-way traffic continued but, incredibly, Lazio only trailed by one at half-time.

However, their good fortune was not to last, with Inter making it 2-0 from the penalty spot five minutes into the second half.

A VAR review convinced referee Matteo Marchetti that Pedro had clipped the back of Martinez’s legs and spot-kick expert Calhanoglu clinically drilled home the resulting penalty.

Martinez should have made it 3-0 soon after, thumping the underside of the bar from 10 yards out, and Serie A’s leading scorer drilled inches wide just before the hour as Lazio were ripped apart time and again.

The Roman outfit tried to find some way back into the game but Inter remained in complete control and Thuram saw another chance go begging before he and captain Martinez both made way in a double substitution in the 74th minute.

That temporarily afforded Lazio some much-needed respite but Maurizio Sarri’s men never threatened to turn things round and the Nerazzurri wrapped the game up in the 87th minute when substitute Frattesi finished off a counter-attack.

Inzaghi lauds 'real team' performance as Inter reach Coppa Italia final

Federico Dimarco's first-half strike proved the difference as Inter defeated Juve 1-0 at San Siro on Wednesday, securing a 2-1 aggregate triumph in the semi-final tie.

Victory kept Inter's Coppa defence alive, having beaten Juve in last year's final, while the Nerazzurri are also in the Champions League semi-finals – where they face fierce rivals Milan.

Massimiliano Allegri's side offered little with a performance in stark contrast to a fiery first leg, and Inzaghi believes his side were good value for their triumph.

"It was an intense match from start to finish, we deserved to reach the final," the Inter coach told Mediaset. 

"We are very happy, we wanted to return to Rome [to the Stadio Olimpico for the May 24 final]."

Inter outclassed Allegri's visitors in all departments, with Juve mustering an expected goals tally of just 0.15 to the Nerazzurri's 1.19.

It also marked Inter's first Coppa semi-final victory over Juve in six attempts as the Nerazzurri reached the last four in back-to-back seasons for the first time since doing so between 2009 and 2011.

"They were very good, they had a great race tonight," Inzaghi said of his players. "We did not lose a yard against a strong team, we have remained united and compact, we have been a real team. 

"Whoever entered played his part. I take away many excellent points."

Dimarco was the hero in front of his home crowd, scoring his fifth goal in all competitions this season – only Achraf Hakimi (seven in 2020-21) has managed more in the last 10 seasons among Inter defenders.

The Inter left-back was quick to share the praise, though, pinpointing his team-mates' will to fight as the driving factor for their success.

Asked what the difference was for Inter, Dimarco told Mediaset: "There are no secrets. In this group everyone is fighting for the shirt and to show what they're worth."

"We played an excellent match. It was what we wanted and we achieved it with a good victory."

Italian Post Office hits back at Juve boss Sarri after slur

Sarri has come under fire following Juve's shock defeat to Hellas Verona last week, which allowed Serie A rivals Inter to move top of the table on goal difference.

There have also been reports former boss Massimiliano Allegri could be brought back to Turin, where ex-Chelsea and Napoli coach Sarri is only in his first season at the helm.

Preparing for Thursday's Coppa Italia semi-final first leg at Milan, Sarri was asked about the pressure and he told reporters, "If I hadn't wanted to be under scrutiny, I would have applied to work at the post office."

Those comments angered the Italian Post Office, which furiously hit back on Wednesday.

The statement read: "With regards to the comment by Maurizio Sarri, 'If I had wanted to avoid tough tests I'd have worked at the Post Office', Poste Italiane invite Mr Sarri to dedicate a few minutes of his precious time to educate himself on the fact the Post Office is the biggest company in the country.

"It is chosen by young graduates as one of the most attractive companies to work for, that it is recognised among the top 500 companies in the world for quality of working life, that it has one of the best performances on the stock exchange in 2019 and is in third place, on the global scale, among Italian companies for image and reputation.

"The tests therefore – contrary to what Mr Sarri maintains – are certainly there for Post Office staff and the company answers to citizens, businesses and public administrations.

"We invite him to view our daily work in person at one of our 15,000 operative offices."

Marotta: Inter will adapt to Coppa Italia decision as Serie A awaits coronavirus measures

Juventus' Coppa second leg against Milan, which was due to take place on Wednesday, has already been called off and Inter's fixture at Napoli's Stadio San Paolo on Thursday has also reportedly been postponed. 

Inter CEO Marotta, speaking prior to a Serie A assembly on Wednesday, said he was unaware of any official decision.

"We don't know anything yet," he said in quotes reported by TuttoMercatoWeb. "We will adapt to what they decide."

Italian news agency ANSA has reported government measures may include a ban on sporting events for 30 days, though football matches could potentially be played behind closed doors.

ANSA said there are now 2,263 positive cases in Italy, with 80 people in the country having died from coronavirus.

Serie A has already seen its schedule hugely affected, with several fixtures having been postponed over the past two weekends – including Juve's Derby d'Italia against Inter, which had been set to take place on Sunday.

An emergency assembly of the league began early on Wednesday with a view to determining fresh measures.

Mourinho calls Coppa Italia 'the worst cup in Europe' after Roma progress

Mourinho's side booked their place in the quarter-finals with Thursday's triumph, courtesy of Paulo Dybala's 64th-minute winner, setting up a clash with the winner of the Napoli-Cremonese Round of 16 encounter.

But the Portuguese legend was damning of the Coppa Italia format in light of Torino's upset 1-0 extra-time win over Milan on Wednesday, which saw them progress to the last eight where they will face Fiorentina away.

"First of all, I'll say I would love to win it, I won it once playing against Roma, I would love to win it playing with Roma in Rome," Mourinho told Sportmediaset.

"I think it's the worst cup in Europe, it doesn't protect the smaller teams. It doesn't put on a show.

"I'm talking about Torino for example who win on the pitch of the Italian champions Milan, then they have to play the next elimination game away from home, I don't understand this structure of the Coppa Italia.

"We played against a Serie B team with a full stadium, if there are empty stadiums they must understand why we are full and the others are not.

"Last year we finished sixth, the year before we finished seventh and I want to invest in the Coppa Italia, but a lower team doesn't want to play, what motivation do these people have?

"Torino won against the Italian champions, they made great history in the Round of 16 and they have to play away. Where is the beauty of the Coppa Italia? It would be nice to play on a Serie B or Serie C pitch, where is that? Because people accept it.

"The next elimination game will be either in Naples or at home with Cremonese, if we lose like last year, we'll lose, but we'll try to win. For a squad like ours, playing three competitions together is very hard.

"There's too much build-up for people of more quality, it's a big risk to play three or four players who don't play all the time or to put so many kids together, I could have done Bove-Tahirovic but I didn't.

"If we want to win the Coppa Italia I won't say we want to, because everyone wants to, we will try to win the next game of the tournament."

Roma, who have advanced to the Europa League knockout round playoffs, bowed out in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals last season to eventual winners Inter.

Napoli-Inter Coppa Italia semi-final postponed as coronavirus fears persist

Juventus' Coppa tie at Milan, which was originally due to take place on Wednesday, was called off and the fixture between Napoli and Inter scheduled for Thursday at Stadio San Paolo will now also not take place, according a report from Italian news agency ANSA.

Italian football is enduring chaos with its schedule due to the threat of the spread of coronavirus, of which there have been 2,263 confirmed positive cases in the nation with 80 people having died.

Several Serie A fixtures have been postponed over the past two weekends, including the Derby d'Italia between Juve and Inter, which was due to take place last Sunday.

ANSA reported the government will implement measures to cancel all sporting events for 30 days, although football matches may yet be allowed to take place behind closed doors.

Inter lost the first leg 1-0 at San Siro, with Fabian Ruiz scoring the winner for Napoli. 

Pirlo praises Juve youngsters after Coppa Italia win over Genoa

Juve dominated Serie A strugglers Genoa in the first half at Allianz Stadium on Wednesday, the lively Dejan Kulusevski opening the scoring inside two minutes before laying on a second goal for Alvaro Morata.

Lennart Czyborra halved the deficit with a header against the run of play midway through the first half and Filippo Melegoni forced extra time with a great finish from 25 yards out.

Cristiano Ronaldo was introduced as a substitute late in normal time, but it was 21-year-old debutant Hamza Rafia who settled it late in the first period of extra time.

Radu Dragusin and Manolo Portanova were among the other young players given an opportunity by Pirlo on a night which saw a much-changed Juve side have 24 shots, 13 of which were on target, as they made hard work of setting up a quarter-final tie against Sassuolo or SPAL.

Pirlo was impressed by the Juve youngsters, but was frustrated the Serie A champions were taken to extra time ahead of a clash with Inter on Sunday.

He said: "They played a great match, I'm happy for them because they proved to be up to it. Too bad the game was complicated, we had to close it in the first half."

Pirlo added: "It happens that every now and then when we think the race is over we lose focus, thinking it's all easy, but if you don't have your head right they become complicated games. 

"As happened today when we went to extra time, we lost energy and had to finish it in the first half."

Kulusevski staked his claim for a regular starting berth, hitting the target with four of his five shots and making four key passes as he tormented Genoa in a classy performance.

Pirlo was not surprised to see the Sweden midfielder and striker Morata, starting for the first time since recovering from a thigh injury, link up so effectively.

The former Italy playmaker said: "They had a great understanding, especially in the first half when they played very close and played for each other. 

"They have been training together since the beginning of the season and they know what their characteristics are and how to look for each other and tonight they proved it."

Sarri: Really annoying that Messi has won more Ballons d'Or than Ronaldo

Barcelona captain Lionel Messi moved one ahead of Ronaldo for the Ballon d'Or record, claiming his sixth individual honour in December.

The result came despite Ronaldo helping Juve to an eighth consecutive Serie A title and Portugal win the inaugural Nations League crown.

Sari is determined for Ronaldo – who sat out Wednesday's 4-0 Coppa Italia last-16 victory over Udinese through illness – to add to his Ballon d'Or collection and match Messi.

"I would like to help Cristiano win the sixth Ballon d'Or first," Sarri told reporters post-game in Turin.

"It's really annoying thinking that someone won more [Ballons d'Or] than him. I think about him and I think helping him it is my goal and the goal of the team. It is right for him.

"[Paulo] Dybala is going to be one of the contenders in the next years. I think so."

While Ronaldo sat out, Juve forward Paulo Dybala dazzled with a brace and an assist against Udinese.

Dybala teed up Gonzalo Higuain for the 16th-minute opener following a stunning piece of combination play before curling a memorable strike past Nicolas approaching the hour mark, having converted a first-half penalty.

It took his season tally to 11 goals across all competitions and Sarri added: "Dybala is a top player. As every top player when they are becoming confident and having the right age, they are playing like a top player.

"I don't think a manager can teach something to a top player. Dybala is going to leave a mark in world and European football in the next years. He has got the right age to leave a mark and he's still got many years of his career. He is really confident in this moment after a few difficulties in the past."

Serie A coronavirus chaos continues after aborted meeting

Only nine top-flight clubs had officials in attendance at the league council, with 14 needed for it to be considered an Assembly.

An informal meeting was held among those who did attend, lasting around three hours, with reports suggesting the favoured approach is to play forthcoming fixtures behind closed doors.

A report from Italian news agency ANSA suggested the government is to impose a ban on sporting events for 30 days, although football matches may still be allowed to take place without fans in attendance.

Italian sports minister Vincenzo Spadafora told reporters the government is heading towards "this type of measure" after the culmination of a separate meeting among officials.

The schedule for Italian football has been plunged into crisis, with several league fixtures having been postponed over the past two weekends, including the Derby d'Italia that was due to take place on Sunday.

The Coppa Italia semi-final second-leg fixtures between Juventus and Milan, and Napoli and Inter have also been called off, with no rearranged date yet confirmed.

ANSA said there have been 2,263 confirmed positive cases of coronavirus in Italy, with 80 people having died.

Serie A set for more uncertainty due to coronavirus but Juve-Milan to go ahead

A Prime Ministerial Decree on Sunday outlined restrictions imposed on sporting events across the country until March 8, with a knock-on effect for Serie A and the Coppa Italia.

The decree extended the ban on "sporting activities" in the regions of Lombardy, Veneto and Emilia Romagna, along with the provinces of Savona and Pesaro-Urbino, with Serie A announcing earlier on Sunday that an emergency assembly has been called for Wednesday to discuss the ramifications.

Juventus confirmed their Coppa Italia semi-final second leg against rivals Milan will go ahead but fans from the aforementioned regions are not permitted to attend.

The champions' Derby d'Italia against Inter was one of five Serie A fixtures postponed over the weekend, with the games having originally been scheduled to take place behind closed doors before being moved to May 13.

However, that decision has since been cast into doubt with the clubs seemingly not having agreed to the scheduling. 

A sixth game, Sampdoria's clash with Hellas Verona, which was due to take place on Monday was also called off, while the Coppa Italia final was moved back by a week to May 20.

The virus has reportedly infected more than 1,600 people in Italy, with 34 having died.

The only guilty party' – Inter seethe as appeal fails against Lukaku red card for shushing racist fans

The Belgian striker converted a penalty in the fifth minute of stoppage time to earn Inter a 1-1 draw in the Coppa Italia semi-final first leg on April 4 at the Allianz Stadium.

He then used his finger to shush the home fans' vitriol and that reaction was deemed a bookable offence by referee Davide Massa.

Lukaku had already been booked for a foul in the 80th minute, so the second yellow card saw him dismissed.

The Inter frontman called for action from Serie A officials after being targeted for abuse, while team-mate Edin Dzeko described the treatment from the Juventus fans as something "that should never happen".

FIFA president Gianni Infantino labelled the abuse "unacceptable" and called for those responsible to be punished.

A partial stadium closure was initially imposed on Juventus as a result of Lukaku being targeted, with the section from where the abuse came ordered to be shut for one game, but that decision was overturned this week.

An appeal against Lukaku's punishment was submitted by Inter to the Italian FA – the FIGC – but that was rejected on Friday, meaning the on-loan Chelsea player must miss next Wednesday's second leg.

In a statement, Inter said: "The FIGC's National Court of Appeal today confirmed the suspension of Romelu Lukaku, who will be unable to participate in Wednesday's Coppa Italia semi-final.

"FC Internazionale Milano feels it must consolidate its support for the player and expresses great sorrow at the fact that the victim has become the only guilty party."