
Massimiliano Allegri, the head coach of Juventus said condemned racism but said his players must respect their opponents.
In a media interaction, Allegri said, "Racism is never justifiable and idiots should stay away from the stadium, but regarding the attacks on Leonardo Bonucci, he expressed himself badly after the match, he was still in a competitive trance."
Allegri's comments came following a racist incident involving striker Moise Kean during Juventus' 2-0 win at Cagliari in Serie A on Tuesday.
Kean had celebrated in front of the Cagliari fans with his arms outstretched after scoring in the 85th minute, having been insulted by them for most of the match after being booked for simulation in the 20th minute.
Allegri said, "Every player must behave well on the pitch, whether it is (Moise) Kean or (Daniele) Rugani, they need to respect their opponents and their fans. That is the most important thing, then racism is a different thing, for one last time I repeat that racism is never justifiable, it must be punished and fought."
Allegri had come under fire for his comments after the game, but insisted "racism is never justifiable."
The coach also backed Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci, who said both Kean and the Cagliari fans were to blame for the incident.
Juventus will clinch a record-extending eighth straight Serie A title if they beat AC Milan on Saturday and Napoli lose to Genoa a day later.