Inter will have to play two home games behind closed doors following the alleged racist abuse aimed at Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly, Lega Serie A has confirmed.
During Inter’s 1-0 Boxing Day win over Napoli at San Siro, racist chanting appeared to be aimed at Koulibaly on a number of occasions.
Napoli head coach Carlo Ancelotti claimed his side requested the match be stopped on three occasions due to the abuse.
Lega Serie A announced on Thursday that Inter will be forced to play home league games against Sassuolo and Bologna without supporters present.
Inter have also been ordered to close the Curva Nord section of San Siro, where the club’s ‘Ultras’ congregate, for a third match against Sampdoria.
Empoli, meanwhile, announced the club will not sell tickets to Inter fans for Saturday’s game at Stadio Carlo Castellani.
Koulibaly will be banned for two matches as a result of his red card late in the game, which came immediately after he sarcastically applauded referee Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni for booking him over a foul on Matteo Politano.
Senegal centre-back Koulibaly spoke out on social media against the alleged abuse he received, with Serie A stars, including Cristiano Ronaldo and Kevin-Prince Boateng, and Napoli teammates, including Dries Mertens and Amin Younes, among those to show their support.
Italian Football Federation president Gabriele Gravina suggested he will push for a rule change to help referees take action against racist abuse during Serie A games.
‘Enough is enough, what happened in the last days is no longer tolerable,’ he said in a statement. ‘Football is the heritage of true fans and as such should be defended by all those who use it as a tool to create tension.
‘At the next federal council it is my intention to propose to change the rules regarding the suspension of a match to make it even easier to apply.’
Lorenzo Insigne will also serve a two-match ban after the Napoli forward was dismissed in the closing stages of the Inter game, which the hosts won 1-0 thanks to a late Lautaro Martinez goal.
