by EH
In a shocking incident during last Saturday’s face-off between AC Milan and Udinese in Udine, Friuli Venezia Giulia, the match was temporarily halted in the 34th minute as AC Milan’s goalkeeper, Mike Maignan, fell victim to racial abuse from home fans. Referee Fabio Maresca took swift action, pausing the game due to persistent monkey chants targeting Maignan, who is black. An announcement in the stadium warned fans to cease the abusive behavior.
Expressing his outrage over the racist abuse, Maignan, supported by his teammates, walked off the field. The match resumed with six minutes of added time, ultimately concluding with a 3-2 victory for Milan.
Maignan, addressing the disturbing incident in a post-match statement to Milan TV, emphasized, “This shouldn’t exist in the world of football, but unfortunately it has been happening for many years. We all have to react; we must do something because you can’t play like this.”
Italy’s sports minister, Andrea Abodi, condemned the incident and issued an apology to Maignan, who also serves as the goalkeeper for France. AC Milan, taking a firm stand against racism, expressed solidarity with Maignan, stating on X, “There is absolutely no place in our game for racism: we are appalled. We are with you, Mike.”
Efforts to identify the perpetrators of the racist chants are underway, as reported by state broadcaster RAI, according to the police commissioner of Udine, Alfredo D’Agostino. The incident highlights the ongoing struggle against racism in football, prompting calls for collective action to eradicate such behavior from the sport.
