The Sporting Judge has officially ruled that Udinese will have to play one game behind closed doors following the incident(s) of racial abuse aimed at Mike Maignan.
Maignan left the pitch during the first half of Milan’s 3-2 win over Udinese in Udine on Saturday night, later explaining that he kept hearing monkey noises from the fans behind him during the warm-ups and while taking goal kicks.
Milan decided not to post on social media at all for 24 hours following the game as a show of solidarity with their goalkeeper, while Udinese pledged to identify those responsible and have already given a life ban to one perpetrator.
The ‘supporter’ was picked out thanks to the investigations and video from the cameras, and is a 46-year-old man already known to the police. He was caught largely due to a video circulating on social media in which he can be heard racially abusing Maignan 12 times.
As MilanNews relay, the Judge’s decision has arrived after the racist insults to Maignan during the game and their statement confirms that the the Friulians will have to play a match behind closed doors, therefore without fans in the stadium.
Here is the text of Judge Gerardo Mastrandrea’s statement:
“The Sporting Judge,
“Having seen the referee’s report, as well as the report of the collaborators of the Federal Prosecutor’s Office, regarding the manifestations of racial discrimination which affected the Milan Maignan footballer Mike Peterson on several occasions during the match, and which led to the carrying out of two loudspeaker announcements, as well as an initial interruption of the game for approximately one minute, followed by a suspension of the match for approximately 5 minutes;
“Having considered the objective gravity of the facts described and reported, which led to the adoption of the measures provided for by the specific procedural protocol contained in the federal regulations; gravity which, on the one hand, makes the element of dimension recessive, on the other, confirms and completely denies the further element, equally foreseen and required by the art. 28, paragraph 4, CGS, of the real perception (given, in this case, the legitimate reaction of the player concerned and the consequences on the regular running of the match, interrupted twice);
“It is also noted that, during and after the events, and despite the two announcements to the public, clear demonstrations of dissociation from such intolerable behaviour on the part of the remaining supporters were not reported (an element which would have been relevant in a mitigating sense, and even exempting in the presence of the other conditions, pursuant to art. 29, paragraph 1, letter and CGS);
“Noting, however, that the active behaviour of the Udinese Club, and the willingness expressed right from the start to collaborate in identifying those responsible, mean that for an event of this magnitude and gravity the minimum sanction provided for by the art. can be applied. 28, paragraph 4, CGS, or the obligation to play a match behind closed doors (art. 8, paragraph 1, letter and CGS).
“PQM resolves to sanction the UDINESE club with the obligation to play a match behind closed doors.”
Good to see some swift action!
I hope they will continue to work on identifying those responsible.
It will hopefully spur legitimate fans to report/identify such people in future.
After all this is supposed to be sport! An environment where you ought to be able to take your children to enjoy seeing such stars as Mike without being exposed to such evil.
Now that’s decent start. Bigger punishments for the repeat-offenders. That should do the trick.
One? If it was up to me they’d play five home games behind closed doors. I suppose the club itself is cooperating with authorities so I guess it’s okay.
Yes fair enough. Udinese did well. They are the only club in Italy I’ve seen actually acting – banning fans from the stadium for life. We are not likely to see such disgusting acts in their stadium for awhile. I’d be happy with no punishment to clubs and a lot of innocent fans as long clubs take such stance and the few abusers are given unforgettable punishment
They will do it again.
One game is not enough
So….by punishing all Udinese supporters and the club, because some idiots can’t behave like human beings.
This is going to solve the problem, not.
It provides a reason for the fans near someone who is hurling abuse to tell them to stop, instead of just standing by and letting it happen. It puts skin in the game for ALL the supporters because they will ALL be punished.
Exactly. The “normal” people won’t be still if idiots around them will make everyone miss the home matches. People are bound to stand up to the idiots. Or they all can watch the games at home on telly in the future.
yeah and a “bright” commentor here thinks that they should make it 5 games instead of one.
If it was an idiot chanting racial stuff among a milanista crowd is it even making a difference by penalizing the whole club/community instead of swiftly taking necessary action against said individual and making an example out of him?
FINALLY – Serie A takes some action. It’s definitely NOT enough but it’s a start in the right direction. The only way is to punish the club financially by banning the fans – then the fans will start to police the ignorant racists and hopefully get them out. Harsher penalties are needed to root this garbage out but finally the are doing something