The world of football was outraged after new racist insults uttered in an Italian stadium.
On January 20, French international goalkeeper Mike Maignan was the target of monkey cries during an AC Milan match on the Udinese pitch (3-2 victory for the Lombards).
Initially, the club was forced to play a match behind closed doors.
But this sanction was reduced on appeal: Florian Thauvin's team will play its next two home matches with a closed stand.
The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) announced its decision in a press release published this Wednesday: “The first chamber of the National Court of Appeal for Sport, chaired by Carmine Volpe, partially ruled in favor of the appeal made by the Udinese against the sanction of a match behind closed doors.
» The closed stand will be the Curva Nord, the one where the racist chants were sung.
Furthermore, five spectators were identified and suspended for life from the Udinese stadium.
Mike Maignan left the field to react to these insults, and the game was interrupted for five minutes.
The goalkeeper of the France team expressed his weariness regarding these events and called for harsher sanctions to be taken.
It was not the player who was attacked.
It's the man.
He's the father of the family.
This isn't the first time this has happened to me.
And I'm not the first this has happened to.
We made press releases, advertising campaigns, protocols and nothing changed.… pic.twitter.com/47tfcW4oNo
— Magic Mike Maignan (@mmseize) January 21, 2024
“It was not the player who was attacked,” declared the goalkeeper on social networks.
It's the man.
He's the father of the family.
This isn't the first time this has happened to me.
And I'm not the first this has happened to.
We issued press releases, advertising campaigns, protocols and nothing has changed.
»
Also read “I am Mike, standing, black and proud”: Maignan, a goalkeeper who never gives up in the face of racism
The mayor of Udine had also expressed his wish to make the Frenchman an honorary citizen of the city.
A proposal, however, rejected by the municipal council.
“We lost the opportunity to show that our city was united and that it was distancing itself from what happened,” regretted the city councilor.