Juve Draw As Match Interrupted After Vlahovic Abuse, Napoli Go Joint Top

Juventus and Fiorentina drew 2-2 on Sunday as the Serie A match was interrupted after seven minutes following racist insults from the stands aimed at home striker Dusan Vlahovic. Earlier, Napoli edged past struggling Venezia 1-0 to move level on points with leaders Atalanta. 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 tannoy 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 fans of the Viola.

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