AC Milan and Udinese squared off in a rather dramatic affair at Stadio Friuli on Saturday evening Unfortunately, the result was overshadowed by disgraceful behaviour in the stands, with Mike Maignan having to withstand racial abuse.
In the first half of the game, Maignan was by the Udinese home fans and it didn’t take long before he signalled to the referee. An announcement was read by the stadium speaker, urging the fans to stop, but shortly thereafter the game was halted and Milan left the pitch.
On their official website, Udinese have now published a statement regarding the incidents in the standings, expressing their full support for Maignan. They also stated that they will punish those responsible, provided that they can be identified.
“Udinese Calcio deeply regrets and condemns every act of racism and violence. We reaffirm our aversion to any form of discrimination and express our profound solidarity with the AC Milan player Mike Maignan in light of Saturday’s deplorable incident at our stadium.
“Udinese will collaborate with all investigating authorities to ensure immediate clarification of the incident, with the aim of taking any necessary measures to punish those responsible.
“As an institution, we will continue to work diligently, as we always have, to promote diversity and integration of all ethnicities, cultures and languages among our players, staff, fan base and city,” the statement read.
Serie A and Italy have had a problem with racism for a very long time, with a chronic issue when it comes to punishments. Milan are now hoping that serious action will be taken, both by Udinese and Lega Serie A. Maignan himself has also published a long message on the matter.
