The FIGC (Italian FA) has come in for some significant criticism for the way that it has handled the aftermath to the racism scandal during a Coppa Italia semifinal first leg between Inter and Juventus earlier this month.

Today’s print edition of Rome-based newspaper Corriere dello Sport, via FCInterNews, argue that it is Lukaku who received the punishment following the incident, whilst the message has been sent that there will be few consequences for racist incidents in stadiums.

Yesterday, the FIGC court of appeals rejected an appeal by Inter to have the one-match suspension of Belgian international striker Lukaku lifted for the second leg of their Coppa Italia semifinal tie against Juventus lifted.

A further development has emerged, which is that FIGC President Gabriele Gravina could intervene to issue an executive pardon to the Inter striker.

However, as it stands, Lukaku is still set to be banned for the second leg clash, with his suspension having stood for more than two weeks since the first leg clash in which the incident took place.

As the Corriere notes, Juventus were successful in their appeal for the Tribuna Sud stand to be reopened for this weekend’s Serie A match against Napoli after it had been closed in the aftermath of the match against Inter.

The Bianconeri argued that, given the fact that they had immediately taken action to identify and ban some of the perpetrators of the racist chants, there would be no grounds for them to be hit with a partial stadium closure, and the FIGC board of appeals accepted their argument.

This is in spite of the fact that according to a report from three FIGC investigators who were actually present at the match, a “majority” of the fans who were present in the Tribuna Sud stand could be heard making racist chants.

Meanwhile, the court of appeals showed no leniency towards the Inter striker involved in the incident, given that it would be a highly unusual step to lift a suspension that had been received for two yellow cards rather than a straight red.

However procedurally unusual it would have been for the court of appeals to lift Lukaku’s suspension, though, the Corriere argues that it is precisely this “business as usual” way of doing things that allows racism to be perpetuated.

Whilst the Bianconeri were able to successfully get out of any punishment for the part played by some of their fans in the racism scandal, mitigating circumstances were not accounted for in applying the punishment to the player who was actually the victim of racism by the letter of the law.