AC Milan‘s clash with Udinese was suspended after racist abuse was allegedly targeted at Mike Maignan.
The match was paused after 33 minutes before Maignan left the pitch alongside his team-mates at the Udinese stadium due to the racist abuse and chants from home supporters.
The French goalkeeper is the first player to ask for the match to be suspended due to racist abuse.
He asked said the referee Maresca, as reported by the Dazn cameras: ‘Did you hear that too?’.
After leaving the pitch for about ten minutes, Maignan player and his team-mates returned to the pitch angry along with the entire team that had supported him.
Many Udinese players hugged and kissed the goalkeeper who consciously chose to send a signal asking the referee to suspend the match.
His return to the pitch was marked by whistles from the Curva in a surreal atmosphere.
After being reassured by the referee Maresca, Maignan returned between the posts but also, after announcement from the stadium speakers, the chants continued and the French goalkeeper together with other teammates left the field again.
The match started again despite Maignan’s gesture against yet another episode of racism in Italy.
It’s just the latest racism storm hit by Italian football after Romelu Lukaku suffered similar abuse last April while playing for Inter Milan against Juventus.
117 Juventus subsequently received a stadium ban after being identified.
Just before Saturday’s incident at Udinese, Ruben Lofrus-Cheek gave Milan the lead before Lazar Samardzic got the hosts on level term three minutes before the break.
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