Former Roma defender Antonio Rudiger reiterated his disappointment with the lack of “justice” for racist abuse in Serie A. “Not all Italian people are racist.”
The new Chelsea signing discovered the weak response to insults from the fans, but above all from Lazio player Senad Lulic, who famously said on television that the German international was “selling shoes and belts” before he came to Roma.
“You feel alone,” Rudiger told reporters of his experience with racism.
Former Roma defender Antonio Rudiger reiterated his disappointment with the lack of “justice” for racist abuse in Serie A. “Not all Italian people are racist.”
The new Chelsea signing discovered the weak response to insults from the fans, but above all from Lazio player Senad Lulic, who famously said on television that the German international was “selling shoes and belts” before he came to Roma.
“You feel alone,” Rudiger told reporters of his experience with racism.
“I can keep my focus, but people love to say, ‘Stay calm’ or ‘Don’t do anything’. It is easy for you to say those things when you are not black and you never feel what it is like.
“You cannot even put yourself in my position of how that feels. In that moment, it is like this and you are alone. You have to be strong. Each human is different. Someone takes it and doesn’t react, others react. I can understand both.”
Bosnian international Lulic was given a 20-day ban, but it effectively only ruled him out of one game, as it was activated the day before the Serie A Christmas break began.
Pescara midfielder Sulley Muntari had an even worse experience, sent off for dissent when he tried to remonstrate with some people in the Cagliari crowd aiming racist insults at him.
“Not all Italian people are racist. For me, I just want justice. I want FIFA or the FA in Italy just to suspend those people who do that. If we always talk about racism in Italy, people think that all Italians are racist people — and it is not like that.
“I just mean those specific people who do that. It is not all. But those people need to be banned from the stadium or fined.”
Rudiger completed his transfer to Chelsea and is excited by the new adventure.
“Of course, it’s a dream to be here. I always wanted to play here in the Premier League and it is many years since my name was first linked to Chelsea.
“I have not experienced the Premier League yet, but the Italian league is more tactical. You don’t have the open games as you do in England with both teams attacking the whole time.
“That is the main two differences between the two leagues and, of course, the physical aspect in England. You need to prepare for a physical game. There are a lot strikers, Jamie Vardy and Romelu Lukaku, where you look at them and it is a challenge.”