Former Barcelona midfielder regrets posting Juventus insult while praising Modric

Former Croatian international Ivan Rakitic has publicly apologized to Juventus supporters after inadvertently sharing a social media post containing an offensive chant directed at the club.

The incident occurred as Rakitic was celebrating his compatriot Luka Modric’s recent move to AC Milan.

Rakitic, who retired in July following a distinguished career that included stints at FC Basel, Schalke 04, Sevilla, Barcelona, Al-Shabab, and Hajduk Split, took to Instagram to congratulate Modric on his transfer.

Alongside a photo of the two together, he included a chant commonly associated with AC Milan supporters.

Photo via Footballitalia

However, the chant—“Chi non salta è un gobbo juventino,” meaning “whoever doesn’t jump is a Juventus supporter”—uses the term “gobbo” (hunchback) as a derogatory nickname for Juventus fans.

Unaware of the chant’s offensive historical connotations, Rakitic’s post unintentionally insulted Juventus supporters.

After being made aware of the issue, Rakitic promptly removed the post and issued a formal apology on his Instagram Stories. He said: “I wish to extend my sincere apologies to the supporters of Juventus.”

“My intention was solely to use a song associated with AC Milan to congratulate my friend Luka Modric, without being aware of the historical context or the lyrics tied to it. I had absolutely no desire to offend anyone, least of all a club for which I hold the utmost respect.”

The chant is a longstanding fixture in Italian football rivalries and is often used by opposing fans to taunt Juventus supporters.