Udinese bans for life one of the fans who racially abused Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan
Serie A club Udinese has identified a fan who racially abused AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan and banned him for life as it vowed to do the same for the other “evil people.”
MILAN (AP) — Serie A club Udinese has identified a fan who racially abused AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan and banned him for life as it vowed to do the same for the other “evil people” amid calls for tougher sanctions from authorities following another weekend when Italian soccer games were overshadowed by fan misbehavior.
Maignan, who is Black, walked off the field during Saturday’s Serie A match at Udinese after being subjected to what he later said were monkey noises. The 28-year-old goalkeeper was joined by his teammates and the match was suspended for about five minutes before they returned, and Milan went on to win 3-2.
“In a joint effort with the local police authorities and utilizing the Bluenergy Stadium security cameras, Udinese Calcio has identified the first individual responsible for discriminatory behavior towards AC Milan player Mike Maignan,” Udinese said in a statement on Monday.
“This person will face a lifetime ban from attending any Udinese Calcio matches. This ban is effective immediately. We believe that such strong measures are necessary to send a clear message that racism has no place in football or society.”
