AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan left the field after being subjected to alleged racist chants by Udinese fans during a Serie A match on Saturday, leading to a brief suspension of the match during the first half.
Shortly after Milan scored to take a 1-0 lead and Milan were about to execute a goal kick, Maignan gestured to his teammates to stop, walked up to the referee and then left the field.
“They were making monkey noises and it’s not the first time this has happened to me,” Maignan, 28, told DAZN.
His teammates tried to console Maignan on the touchline, but the 28-year-old Frenchman took off his gloves, entered the tunnel and followed his teammates.
Maignan had chanted monkeys to the referee before the match, prompting an announcement at the Stadio Friuli 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 upset to have to go into the changing room like that but I had everyone’s support,” Maignan said.
“We talked and then we made the resolution to get back on the pitch and react to win this game. Actually, I didn’t need to play anymore. But we’re a circle of family and I couldn’t leave my teammates like that. “
Udinese will most likely be affected by a partial stadium closure for their next home match.
“There is no place for racism in our game – we are appalled,” Milan said on X, formerly Twitter. “We’re with you, Mike. “
Serie A leaders Inter were quick to respond to the message from their city rivals.
The Nerazzurri added of X: “We are brothers of the world, opposed to any form of discrimination. By your side. “
The league’s official account, @SerieA, adds: “The league condemns all racist bureaucracy. “
Maignan was also subjected to racist chants in a game 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.