Juventus draw 2-2 with Fiorentina as match is interrupted after Dusan Vlahovic abuse

ROME – Juventus and Fiorentina drew 2-2 on Dec 29 as the Serie A match was interrupted after seven minutes, following racist insults from the stands aimed at home striker Dusan Vlahovic.

In Turin, a Khephren Thuram double was cancelled out first by Fiorentina’s Moise Kean and then late on by Riccardo Sottil.

“I don’t believe in bad luck,” Juventus coach Thiago Motta told Sky Sport Italia, after his side’s 11th draw in 18 league outings this term.

“We should have killed off the game and don’t leave a chance to the opponent.

“I don’t believe in bad luck. I believe in merit.”

But the match was overshadowed inside the first 10 minutes when referee Maurizio Mariani called over the two captains to tell them he was stopping play, while an appeal over the public address system at the Allianz Stadium called on fans to cut out racist chants.

The two teams then gathered in the centre circle, before the match resumed.

Broadcaster Dazn reported that Fiorentina fans hurled insults in the direction of their former player Vlahovic, who is Serbian.

Since leaving Fiorentina, his club from 2018 to 2022, Vlahovic, 24, has been targeted by Viola fans.

In November 2023, Fiorentina were given a suspended one-match ban for chants directed at three Juventus players, including Vlahovic.

Juventus midfielder Thuram opened the scoring after play restarted with a 20th-minute strike.

It was the first goal scored by the son of former Juventus and France international Lilian Thuram since he joined the Old Lady in the close season.

Former Juventus forward Kean levelled on 38 minutes, before Thuram doubled up three minutes after half-time.

The hosts looked set to leapfrog their fifth-placed opponents but Sottil struck in the 87th minute to ensure both sides remain level on 32 points.

Earlier, Napoli edged past struggling Venezia 1-0.

Giacomo Raspadori decided the match with his first goal of the season after 79 minutes, slotting home a loose ball after Venezia failed to clear.

Napoli’s third straight victory brought them level on 41 points with leaders Atalanta, who drew with Lazio on Dec 28 and have a superior goal difference.

“Totalling 41 points after 18 matches, nobody, even the most optimistic, thought we could do it at the start of the season,” Napoli coach Antonio Conte said.

“But we still have to improve, we’re a developing team.

“I am definitely happy because this is a team that is growing.”

In the day’s final match, Paulo Dybala’s crisp right-foot volley earned AS Roma a 1-1 draw at AC Milan, after Tijjani Reijnders had opened the scoring.

The result left Milan eighth and led to the Dec 30 sacking of coach Paulo Fonseca, who is set to be replaced by Portuguese compatriot Sergio Conceicao. AFP, REUTERS