Samuel Umtiti reflects on a racist incident he experienced in Italy | OneFootball

Samuel Umtiti reflects on a racist incident he experienced in Italy

Samuel Umtiti, who recently retired, opened up about a particularly harrowing moment in his career. In an interview with RMC Sport, the former French defender revisited the Lecce-Lazio match in January 2023, where he was subjected to racist abuse from the stands.

World Cup winner in 2018 and former FC Barcelona player, Umtiti enjoyed a remarkable career but was also plagued by numerous injuries. Those setbacks ultimately led him to hang up his boots at just 31 years old. Today, he works as a pundit for DAZN.

During that match in Italy, Lazio fans mimicked monkey noises every time Umtiti touched the ball. He explained that even some Lazio players offered to stop the match, but he declined:

He condemned the fact that these behaviors are still considered "normal" by some. In his view, only tough sanctions will force these so-called supporters to finally take responsibility for their actions.