Juventus Condemns Racist Abuse Against Weston McKennie in Serie A

American midfielder Weston McKennie was the victim of racist insults following Juventus’ 2-0 victory over Parma in the opening Serie A matchday, the Italian club reported on Sunday. Juventus issued a statement on social media denouncing that McKennie was the target of “discriminatory racist comments by individuals in the visiting section” while doing cool-down exercises with his teammates on the field.

“Juventus strongly condemns this incident and any form of racism, and will ensure full cooperation with sports justice authorities to identify those responsible,” the club said in its statement.

Juventus

McKennie, who joined Juventus in 2020, came on as a substitute in the match played in Turin, where Canadian striker Jonathan David scored on his Serie A debut for Juventus. In 2023, Fiorentina received a partially suspended stadium ban after their fans directed racist and discriminatory chants against McKennie and other Juventus players. The incident on Sunday adds to a series of racism allegations in European football. FIFA President Gianni Infantino last week called two incidents of alleged racist abuse that marred German Cup matches “unacceptable.”