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.”
