The referee of this match won by Lecce (2-1) was forced to stop the match a few moments in the second half because of racist cries "coming from the visitor sector occupied by Lazio supporters", according to the Italian agency Ansa.

These cries were then aimed at Umtiti, 2018 world champion with France on loan since last summer to Lecce by FC Barcelona, ​​​​but others had been heard in the first period targeting Banda, according to the same source.

Umtiti left the pitch in tears at the end of the match, to a standing ovation from the Lecce crowd, according to Italian media.

"The racist cries were overwhelmed by those of encouragement. All the giallorosso people (yellow and red, the colors of Lecce, editor's note) began to shout a single name, Samuel Umtiti", wrote the club from the south of the Italy on his Twitter account, with the mention in English "leave racism aside" and photos of the French defender.

"When the referee interrupted the match, waiting for the announcer to call for an end to the racist cries, Umtiti asked that the match resume, because he wanted to respond on the pitch to the insults received. He reacted like a true champion", commented the president of Lecce Saverio Sticchi Damiani, quoted on the site of the Gazzetta dello Sport.

Racist cries are a recurring phenomenon in Italian stadiums, especially from certain Lazio supporters known, for a fringe of them, to maintain links with the fascist history of the country.

In August, Nigerian Victor Osimhen was the target of discriminatory cries in Verona.

After a season and a half in stadiums behind closed doors due to the pandemic, racist incidents, recurring in Italy, returned to the stadiums last season.

Koulibaly, Osimhen but also Mike Maignan or Zlatan Ibrahimovic had notably been victims.

In the evening, FIFA President Gianni Infantino expressed his "solidarity with Samuel Umtiti and Lameck Banda".

"Let's shout loud and clear: NO TO RACISM! May the overwhelming majority of supporters, who are good people, rise up to silence all racists once and for all!", He wrote on Instagram.

© 2023 AFP