Udinese has issued four new lifetime bans from access to its stadium, following the racist insults suffered by AC Milan’s French goalkeeper Mike Maignan during the Serie A match between the two teams last Saturday, the club announced on Wednesday. “Udinese Calcio can confirm that it has identified four more individuals in relation to the incidents… These individuals will also be banned for life from the Bluenergy Stadium,” the club announced in a press release.
On Monday, Udinese, after having identified him, had already banned for life from its stadium an individual who had uttered racist insults towards the goalkeeper of the France team. On Tuesday, Udinese was ordered by the Italian League to play a match behind closed doors. “As has been the case since the beginning, the club has continued to work hand in hand with the police, reaffirming its absolute determination to punish the guilty, as proof of its concrete commitment against any form of discrimination,” underlines the club. in its press release on Wednesday.
Maignan, 28, was the target of monkey cries and racist insults from spectators seated in the stand behind his goal in the first half of the Udinese – AC Milan match last Saturday. The Blues goalkeeper, after warning the referee, left the field in the 34th minute, imitated by his teammates. The match was interrupted then resumed five minutes later, ending in a 3-2 victory for AC Milan. The next day, Maignan, already a victim of racism twice since his arrival in Italy in 2021, urged the authorities to take their responsibilities. “Today, an entire system must take its responsibilities (…) The authorities and the prosecutor, with everything that is happening, if you do nothing, YOU WILL ALSO BE COMPLICATED,” had -he writes on his social networks.
