Weston McKennie faced racist abuse during Juventus' match against Parma
Juventus and Parma condemned the incident, calling for action against racism
Juventus reaffirmed commitment to cooperate with authorities on racism cases
Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie faced racist abuse after a 2-0 Serie A win over Parma in Turin, according to a statement released by the Italian club on Sunday, prompting strong condemnation from both clubs and renewed calls to fight racism.
Juventus posted a statement on social media saying McKennie was the target of “discrimatory racist remarks by individuals in the away section” while he was warming down with teammates on the pitch at Allianz Stadium in Turin, Italy.
“Juventus strongly condemns this incident and any form of racism, and will ensure full cooperation with the sporting justice authorities to identify those responsible,” Juventus said in the statement, reinforcing their anti-racism stance in Italian football.
McKennie, who joined Juventus in 2020, went on as a late substitute in the match in Turin, where Canada forward Jonathan David scored in his Serie A debut for Juventus. Parma also released a statement on Monday, saying, “Parma Calcio, in reference to the events that occurred last night after the match at the Allianz Stadium in Turin, firmly condemns all forms of racism and discrimination, both on and off the pitch.”
Italy’s anti-discrimination laws in sport are governed by Article 28 of the FIGC Code of Sports Justice, which allows for stadium bans and fines against clubs whose supporters engage in racist behaviour. In 2019, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) introduced stricter penalties, including the closure of stadium sections for repeat offences.
Clubs are required to cooperate with authorities to identify offenders, and failure to do so can result in additional sanctions. The Italian government also established the Observatory on Sporting Events Security to monitor and address hate crimes at matches.
Serie A, European Football Face Ongoing Racism Allegations
“Racial intolerance, or any other type of abusive behaviour, is NEVER tolerated or acceptable and must therefore be addressed, fought, and condemned at all times,” Parma's statement continued, echoing the urgent need to address racism in Serie A and European football.
In 2023, Fiorentina was hit with a suspended partial stadium ban after fans directed racist and discriminatory chants at McKennie and other Juventus players, highlighting a pattern of abuse in Italian football.
Sunday’s incident is the latest in a series of racism allegations in European soccer, with governing bodies and clubs under pressure to take stronger action against offenders and protect players from discrimination on and off the pitch.
Since 2019, Serie A has launched several anti-racism campaigns, including the 'Keep Racism Out' initiative, but incidents persist. The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) reported 33 cases of racist abuse in professional football during the 2022–23 season, a rise from 25 the previous year.
In March 2024, the Italian government announced a new protocol allowing referees to suspend matches immediately after racist chants, aiming for faster intervention. Clubs found responsible for repeated offences now risk stadium closures and point deductions under updated league regulations.
FIFA, Police Act On Recent Racism Incidents In Football
FIFA President Gianni Infantino last week described two incidents of alleged racist abuse which marred German Cup games as “unacceptable.” Infantino’s comments followed allegations that Schalke’s Christopher Antwi-Adjei was subjected to racist abuse in a cup game at Lokomotive Leipzig and a Kaiserslautern substitute was racially abused while warming up in a game at RSV Eintracht, underscoring the international scope of racism in football.
British police arrested a man on suspicion of racially abusing Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo during a Premier League game on August 16. The man was arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offense after Semenyo, who is Black, reported to the referee that he was racially abused by a spectator in the first half of Bournemouth’s match against Liverpool at Anfield, demonstrating law enforcement’s response to racism in English football.
Since 2022, the German Football Association (DFB) has implemented a reporting app called “DFB Fairplay” to allow players and fans to document racist incidents in real time. In the 2022–23 season, the DFB recorded 1,011 cases of discrimination across all levels of German football, with racism accounting for 43 per cent of reports.
The English Premier League introduced a dedicated online reporting system in 2023, resulting in 152 investigations into discriminatory behaviour by spectators during the 2023–24 season. Both countries have increased stadium bans and fines for offenders, with the DFB issuing 17 stadium bans in the past year alone.
Clubs, Authorities Urged To Intensify Anti-Racism Efforts
Incidents involving Weston McKennie, Christopher Antwi-Adjei, and Antoine Semenyo have intensified calls for clubs, leagues, and authorities to take decisive action against racism in football. The repeated condemnation by Juventus, Parma, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino signals a growing consensus that racism and discrimination must be eradicated from the sport at every level.
Since 2022, Italy’s Serie A has introduced a digital reporting platform allowing fans and players to submit evidence of racist incidents directly to league authorities. The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) reported that in the 2022–23 season, 17 formal complaints of racist abuse were filed, leading to six stadium bans and three criminal investigations.
UEFA’s 2023 disciplinary report highlighted that Italy, Spain, and France accounted for over 60 per cent of all racism-related sanctions in European football that year. The European Commission has also funded cross-border initiatives, such as the “Football Against Racism in Europe” (FARE) network, which now partners with 40 national associations to monitor and respond to abuse.
(With AP Inputs)
