Mike Maignan: Udinese to play one match behind closed doors after AC Milan goalkeeper suffers racist abuse
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Updated 23/01/2024 at 16:12 GMT
Udinese have been punished after racist abuse was directed towards AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan. Maignan walked off the pitch during the Serie A match and was followed by teammates. The match was suspended for 10 minutes before being resumed. Udinese will have to play one match behind closed doors, while a fan has been handed a lifetime ban from the stadium.
Mike Maignan
Image credit: Getty Images
Udinese have been ordered to play one match behind closed doors following the racist abuse aimed at AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan.
Maignan walked off the pitch during the recent Serie A match between the two sides following comments made towards him from a section of Udinese supporters.
He was joined by his Milan teammates and play was suspended for 10 minutes before resuming.
The punishment for Udinese is that they will have to play one match without any supporters.
The sanction was imposed by Serie A sports judge, Gerardo Mastrandrea.
"For an event of this magnitude and seriousness...the obligation to play a match behind closed doors...may be applied," said an official Italian football federation (FIGC) statement.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino said this week that he wants teams to forfeit games if their fans commit racist abuse.
His comments come after the racist abuse directed at Maignan as well as Coventry’s Kasey Palmer in a match against Sheffield Wednesday.
Infantino wrote on X: "The events that took place in Udine and Sheffield on Saturday are totally abhorrent and completely unacceptable. The players affected by Saturday's events have my undivided support.
"We need all the relevant stakeholders to take action, starting with education in schools so that future generations understand that this is not part of football or society.
"As well as the three-step process [match stopped, match re-stopped, match abandoned], we have to implement an automatic forfeit for the team whose fans have committed racism and caused the match to be abandoned, as well as worldwide stadium bans and criminal charges for racists.
"Fifa and football shows full solidarity to victims of racism and any form of discrimination. Once and for all: No to racism! No to any form of discrimination!"
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