Former Croatia international Ivan Rakitic has formally apologized to Juventus supporters after he unintentionally incorporated an offensive chant directed at the Turin club into an Instagram post celebrating Luka Modric`s transfer to AC Milan.
Rakitic, who concluded his distinguished playing career in July after stints with clubs such as FC Basel, Schalke 04, Sevilla, Barcelona, Al-Shabab, and Hajduk Split, is a close friend of Modric. To commemorate Modric`s new chapter as a free agent joining Milan, Rakitic shared a congratulatory message on Instagram.
Modric`s Milan Move and the Unintended Insult
However, the former midfielder was unaware that the accompanying song chosen for his post not only supported AC Milan but also contained a direct insult towards Juventus. Upon realizing his error, Rakitic promptly deleted the controversial clip and issued an apology via his Instagram Stories.
“I want to offer my heartfelt apologies to the Juventus supporters. My only aim was to use an AC Milan-related song to congratulate my friend Luka Modric, completely unaware of its historical significance or insulting lyrics. I had no intention whatsoever of offending anyone, especially a club for which I have the greatest respect.”
The song in question is a common stadium chant: `Chi non salta e un gobbo Juventino,` which translates to `whoever doesn’t jump is a Juventus supporter.` `Gobbo,` meaning hunchback, is a derogatory term often used to refer to Juventus fans.