Incident at AC Milan game
“We are horrified”: Racism leads to the game being interrupted
January 21, 2024, 10:12 a.m
Kylian Mbappé urgently calls for a solution, Antoine Griezmann emphasizes solidarity: Racist chants by Udinese Calcio fans against Mike Maignan cause the game to be interrupted in AC Milan’s Serie A game. At first Maignan even felt like calling it quits.
A racism incident has overshadowed the duel between Udinese Calcio and AC Milan in the Italian Serie A. When Milan was 3-2 (1-1), the game was interrupted for five minutes after 30 minutes because some Udine fans chanted racist chants against Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan. After repeated insults, the Frenchman left the pitch and went with the team into the catacombs.
“They imitated monkey sounds. There shouldn’t be anything like that in the football world and you just have to react,” Maignan said after the game. He didn’t hear it the first time, but then he had to act. The black professional footballer added that it was not the first time in his career that he had felt racism. “I didn’t want to continue the game.” But then he and the team decided that things should continue: “I felt everyone’s support.”
Maignan talking to the referee.
(Photo: REUTERS)
The 28-year-old keeper first spoke to referee Fabio Maresca after about half an hour. He was then hugged and kissed by teammates. As the Ansa news agency reported, there was an announcement from the stadium spokesman after the incident. The Udinese players went into the corner to influence their supporters. Maignan went from the pitch to the dressing room.
“We’re on your side, Mike”
After a few minutes, Maignan returned to the pitch to the boos of the home fans. Some Udine players hugged Maignan as a sign of solidarity. The match then continued as normal. Milan and Serie A condemned the incident. “There is absolutely no place for racism in our game: we are appalled,” Milan wrote on X. “We are with you, Mike.”
The goalkeeper also received a lot of support afterwards. “You are far from alone, Mike Maignan. We are all with you. Still the same problems and still no solution,” wrote former world champion Kylian Mbappé on X: “Enough is enough! No to racism. ” His French national team teammate Antoine Griezmann wrote: “We stand together, Mike! No to racism!”
Before the game was interrupted, Ruben Loftus-Cheek (31st) had put Milan in the lead. But Calcio turned the game around with goals from Lazar Samardzic (42nd) and Florian Thauvin (62nd). Luka Jović (83rd) and Noah Okafor (90th + 3) responded for AC. With their fourth win in a row, Milan stayed in touch with the top duo Juventus Turin under Inter Milan, while Udinese is still deep in the relegation battle with just two wins from 21 games.