Lazio defender Senad Lulic has been given a 20-day ban for racist comments about Antonio Rudiger, but it includes the winter break.
The full-back made the offensive statements in several post-match interviews with television stations after the Derby della Capitale on December 4.
“Rudiger was selling socks and belts in Stuttgart up until two years ago, now he acts like he’s a phenomenon,” said Lulic.
Lazio defender Senad Lulic has been given a 20-day ban for racist comments about Antonio Rudiger, but it includes the winter break.
The full-back made the offensive statements in several post-match interviews with television stations after the Derby della Capitale on December 4.
“Rudiger was selling socks and belts in Stuttgart up until two years ago, now he acts like he’s a phenomenon,” said Lulic.
This was based on the racist stereotype of African men as street-sellers in Europe, but Rudiger was born and raised in Germany, playing in the Bundesliga and already a German international while at Stuttgart.
The FIGC started an investigation and Lulic worked out a plea bargain, so was fined €10,000 and sentenced to a 20-day ban.
However, this includes the winter break, so in reality Lulic will only miss one Serie A match against Crotone.
That's because the ban was announced one day after Lazio's final match of 2016.
It seems the reason for the leniency is the comments were treated as "damaging and offensive" rather than specifically "racist and discriminatory."