Juventus, AC Milan wear 'no racism,' 'Black Lives Matter' shirts before Coppa Italia semifinal
Top-flight football action returned to Italy amid the coronavirus pandemic on Friday evening with Juventus and AC Milan kicking off the second leg of their Copa Italia semifinal showdown.
Both clubs recognized larger issues ahead of the match.
Cristiano Ronaldo and his Juventus teammates sported shirts that had "No Racism" on them as they prepared for the match. Meanwhile, the Milan players wore warmups that carried the "Black Lives Matter" slogan on their fronts.
Following the death of George Floyd, an unarmed African-American man who died while on police custody on May 25 after a white officer kneeled on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes, the German Bundesliga and English Football Association declared that players wouldn't be punished with yellow cards or fines for in-match protests and demonstrations regarding social-justice issues.
Racism has plagued Italian football for decades. Per Goal.com, Massimiliano Allegri said in January 2019 while serving as Juventus manager that Italian authorities didn't adequately punish supporters found guilty of racist taunts and acts during matches.
Meanwhile, the Premier League announced on Friday that players will wear "Black Lives Matter" on the backs of shirts in place of their names when the English top-flight league resumes play on June 17.
The Italian Serie A season restarts on June 20.
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