In the Udinese-Milan match played last weekend in the Italian First Football League (Serie A), Udinese club was sentenced to play without spectators for one match due to its fans chanting racist chants at the opposing team’s goalkeeper.
Udinese was penalized due to racist chants made against the guest team’s 28-year-old French goalkeeper Mike Maignan in the first half of the match played in the 21st week of Serie A, in which Milan beat the host Udinese 3-2.
It was reported that the sports judgeship of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) gave Udinese a 1-match penalty to play without spectators due to the racist chants made against Maignan, in line with the referee and observer reports of the match.
Udinese is expected to play its next match at home, the Monza match in the 23rd week, without spectators.
WHAT HAPPENED?
Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan, who was exposed to racist chants in the 33rd minute of the match between Udinese and Milan in the 21st week of Serie A, left the field.
Milan football players supporting the French goalkeeper also waited in the tunnel for a while. After Maignan and his teammates returned to the field 10 minutes later, the match continued where it left off and the guest Milan left the field victorious 3-2.
Due to the racism Maignan was exposed to, International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) President Gianni Infantino also reacted to the incident.
Thanks to the videos posted on social media by other fans in the Udinese stands, a 46-year-old person who made racist insults towards Maignan was identified and banned from the stadiums for 5 years. Udinese club also decided not to allow this person into the stadium for life.