Inter are aiming to use a precedent by former Nerazzurri midfielder Sulley Muntari whilst he was playing for Pescara in order to have the suspension to Romelu Lukaku for the second leg of their Coppa Italia semifinal tie against Juventus overturned.

This according to today’s print edition of Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, via FCInterNews, who report that the Nerazzurri feel that the fact that Muntari had had successfully appealed a yellow card received amid racist abuse could play in favour of their appeal.

As things stand, Lukaku is set to miss the second leg of the Coppa Italia semifinal tie against Juventus through suspension, as the Belgian was sent off towards the end of the first leg for a second yellow.

However, Inter will appeal the suspension in order to not only get the player back available but also “send a strong message against racism.”

The booking was given after the 29-year-old was deemed by referee Davide Massa to have incited the crowd with his celebration, aimed in the direction of Juventus fans in the Tribuna Sud section.

However, some crucial context for the incident is that a “majority” of the Juventus supporters in that section had been hurling racist chants at Lukaku, according to a report made by investigators from the FIGC (Italian FA).

Accordingly, the Nerazzurri have lodged their appeal as a “matter of principle” and could hope that the mitigating circumstances of the scandalous racism present in the stadium can cause the Court of Appeals to take the highly unusual step of overturning a suspension for two yellow cards in a match.

Normally, only straight red cards can be appealed, but yellow cards cannot.

As the Gazzetta notes, there has been one instance in which fan racism was at the heart of a player’s appeal, and in that instance the Court of Appeals did in fact side with the player by overturning the yellow.

Former Inter and AC Milan midfielder Muntari had joined Pescar in the January transfer window of the 2016-2017 season, and during a match for I Delfini against Cagliari, the Ghanaian had been subject to racist abuse from some Rossoblu fans in the crowd.

Muntari reported this to match official Daniele Minelli, but was given a yellow card for his reaction to the racist chants, whilst nothing was done to stop the chants.

The Ghanian asked Minelli to stop the match, and when the referee instead booked him and insisted that things carry on despite the racist chants, walked off the pitch in protest.

On appeal, the midfielder’s yellow card was rescinded, however, a reflection of the judgment that the match official had acted wrongly against Muntari.

Inter are hoping that with this precedent being in place, they can convince the Court of Appeals to judge similarly in Lukaku’s favour on the basis of his having endured similar circumstances to the then-Pescara midfielder.,