Milan’s Maignan walks off field after racist chants at Udinese،
AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan left the pitch after being subjected to racist chants from Udinese fans during an Italian Serie A match in Udine, Italy, on Saturday, resulting in led to a brief suspension of the match during the first half.
Shortly after Milan scored to take a 1-0 lead and Milan was about to take a goal kick, Maignan signaled his teammates to stop, headed towards the The referee then headed towards the touchline.
After the match, he called for severe sanctions against those responsible.
“They made monkey noises and it’s not the first time this has happened to me,” Maignan, 28, told DAZN.
“They must impose very strong sanctions, because talking no longer serves any purpose.
“We have to say what they are doing is wrong. It's not the whole crowd, most of the fans want to cheer for their team and make fun of you, that's normal, but not this.”
His teammates tried to console Maignan on the sidelines, but the French international took off his gloves and walked down the tunnel leading out of the field.
Maignan, who is black, had also reported racist monkey chants to the referee earlier in the match, prompting an announcement in the stadium asking fans to stop.
The Serie A match resumed around five minutes after the suspension when Maignan and his teammates returned. Milan won 3-2.
“I was upset to have to enter the locker room like that but I had everyone’s support,” Maignan said. “We talked, then we made the decision to go back on the field and react appropriately: to win this game.”
“I really didn't want to play anymore. … But we're a family and I couldn't leave my teammates like that.”
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Milan said: “There is absolutely no place for racism in our game: we are appalled. We are with you, Mike.”
“Lega Serie A condemns all forms of racism,” the official Serie A account posted on X.
Udinese will likely be hit with a partial stadium closure for their next home match.
Maignan was also the victim of racist chants during a match at Cagliari two seasons ago.
There have been racist incidents in Italian and European football for years; in Italy, fans directed racist insults at Kevin-Prince Boateng, Mario Balotelli and Romelu Lukaku, among others.
Information from The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
