FIFA’S INFANTINO SHOWS SUPPORT FOR UMTITI, BANDA AFTER RACIST ABUSE

FIFA President Gianni Infantino urged fans to “shut up all the racists” after racial abuse was directed at Lecce defender Samuel Umtiti and teammate Lameck Banda during their home game against Lazio on Wednesday.

The match was halted for several minutes while an announcement was made in the stadium calling for the chants to be stopped, according to the Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport. To drown out the boos, home fans chanted Umtiti’s name, and Lecce president Saverio Sticchi Damiani said the French World Cup winner, who is on loan from Barcelona, had asked for the game to be restarted.

Lecce came from behind to win 2-1 in Serie A, with Frenchman Umtiti crying on the field.

“Racial insults were drowned out by choruses of support for our champion,” Lecce said in a statement.

“Only football, fun, and joy,” Umtiti wrote on Instagram. The rest is irrelevant.”

In a social media post, Infantino expressed his support for Umtiti and Zambian Banda.

“Solidarity with Samuel Umtiti and Lameck Banda — let us say it loud and clear: No to racism,” he captioned photos of Umtiti and Banda.

“May the vast majority of good-hearted fans stand up to silence all racists once and for all.”