AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan walked off the field after being subjected to racist abuse by Udinese fans during a top-tier Italian league game on Saturday — prompting the match to be suspended briefly during the first half.
Shortly after Milan scored to take a 1-0 lead and Milan were about to execute a goal kick, Maignan signaled his teammates to stop, walked to the referee and then to the touchline.
“They made monkey noises and it’s not the first time it’s happened to me,” the 28-year-old Maignan told DAZN.
Maignan, who is black, had informed the referee about monkey chants before the game, prompting an announcement at the stadium asking fans to stop.
Serie A resumed about five minutes after the suspension as Maignan and his teammates returned. Milan won 3-2.
“I was disappointed to have to go into the locker room like that, but I had everyone’s support,” Maignan said. “We talked, then we made the decision to return the area and react appropriately to win this game. “
“I didn’t need to play anymore. But we’re a family circle and I couldn’t leave my teammates like that. “
Most likely, Udinese will be affected by a partial closure of the stadium for their next home game.
“There is absolutely no place in our game for racism: we are appalled, ” Milan said on X, formerly Twitter. “We are with you, Mike.”
Maignan was also the victim of racist chants at Cagliari two seasons ago.
There have been racist incidents in Italian and European football for years, with cases in Italy targeting, among others, Kevin-Prince Boateng, Mario Balotelli and Romelu Lukaku.
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