Inter striker Romelu Lukaku has not been the same player since his on-field row with AC Milan’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic, at least in the eyes of former Italy striker Bruno Giordano.
In last month’s Coppa Italia quarter-final match-up between Inter and AC Milan at San Siro, the two strikers had a heated exchange near the end of the first half and tensions remained high even after the half-time whistle was blown.
Several choice words were exchanged between the Belgian and Swedish forwards and Lukaku even had to be held back by teammates at one point to prevent him getting to Ibrahimovic, who he was clearly infuriated with.
“Since the incident in the derby, he has been in great difficulty, absent,” Giordano, who most notably played for Lazio and Napoli in the 1970s and 1980s, told Italian broadcaster Rai Sport following last night’s Coppa Italia semi-final second leg between Inter and Juventus.
“I think the controversy has affected him a bit.
“He is a very important player, but he did little against Juventus.”
Lukaku did not have his finest match at the Allianz Stadium as Antonio Conte’s side were held to a goalless draw, securing a 2-1 victory for Juve on aggregate.
This season the 27-year-old, who is the most expensive player in Inter’s history, has made 28 appearances, in which he has scored 20 goals and provided three assists for his teammates.
