A departure which had frustrated the interested party, the club, but obviously the Tifosi. The latter were already hostile about a return to their former glory. For them, Big Rom’ had trampled on the coat of arms to choose English money. Some even used the word mercenary to describe the Red Devil.
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When he signed this summer, a press release from the supporters had also announced the color. “Our group supports Inter and they will not object to the player’s arrival. However, no one should go and greet him with scarves at the airport,” had explained the Curva Nord. “He has to earn the encouragement with his humility and his sweat on the pitch. He was a king. Now he’s a player like any other.” Since his return, Romelu Lukaku hasn’t done much on the pitch to warrant a reversal of that. But obviously he is on the right track.
Facing Naples, he was applauded by this same Curva Nord. Even without scoring or offering a high-flying performance. “Seeing him come back at the start of an official match warmed the hearts of the fans.“, explique the Gazzetta dello Sport. “For a moment, this return recharged the batteries and inspired the fans to remake Romelu who he was.”
During the shock, he weighed, without being decisive. Enough to raise the rating of 6 out of 10 in the pink daily La Botte. “This note has two flavors”continues the newspaper. “For a player like him, such a game cannot be cataloged as a satisfaction. Because some chances could have turned into a goal and because this version of the Belgian is still not comparable to the one that brought the Scudetto to the Nerazzurri in 2020-21.” Nevertheless, a glimmer of hope exists. “On the other hand, this return to the starting XI after 131 days is also not disastrous. Considering the long hiatus and also a disappointment from the World Cup which can only be digested with time and sweat.”
Of course, this match is not yet enough to heal all the wounds. Big Rom’ still has a long way to go before he regains his throne. But these different declarations of love for Inter lead us to believe that he could reverse this trend to the end. “Lukaku reacted with a greeting of thanks from the Giuseppe Meazza lawn. Like a wink between old friends. Those who have known each other forever and who revive a dormant feeling after a spat. Now it’s time for seduction, peace is made.”
Now that both clans are on the same side, they can move forward together again. After the narrow victory against Napoli, the Nerazzurri have reignited the title race. If Simone Inzaghi’s men win against Monza on Saturday, they would be five points behind leaders who are due to play on Sunday. Enough to put a lot of pressure on a Spalletti team that had been undefeated until then.
Scoring this weekend would obviously be a good thing for Romelu Lukaku. But the striker likes the highlights. This January 18, the two Milan face off for the Italian Super Cup. The opportunity for Romelu Lukaku to put the dots on the I. And why not, to find part of his throne like the heart of the Tifosi.