26th August 2025
**August 26 –** Another weekend of football in Europe and yet another case of suspected racist abuse, this time directed at United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) and Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie.
As McKennie and some of his Juve team-mates were warming down after a season-opening 2-0 home win over Parma in Italy’s Serie A, fans in the away end appeared to target the player.
Juventus stated: “At the end of the match against Parma, Weston McKennie was subjected to discriminatory racist remarks by some individuals in the away section, while he was training on the pitch with his team-mates who had not taken part in the game.
“Juventus strongly condemns this incident and any form of racism, and will ensure full cooperation with the sporting justice authorities to identify those responsible.”
McKennie, who was a late substitute as the Bianconeri picked up routine three points, has suffered racist abuse in Italy before.
In 2023, Fiorentina were hit with a suspended partial stadium ban after fans directed racist and discriminatory chants at McKennie and other Juventus players.
Sunday’s incident is the latest in a series of racism allegations in European football.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino last week described two incidents of alleged racist abuse which marred German Cup games as “unacceptable.”
Infantino’s comments were in the wake of allegations Schalke’s Christopher Antwi-Adjei was subjected to racist abuse at Lokomotive Leipzig and a Kaiserslautern substitute was racially abused while warming up in a game at RSV Eintracht.
In addition, a Liverpool supporter was arrested on suspicion of racially abusing Bournemouth’s Antonie Semenyo during a Premier League game on August 16.