Once again, football made headlines for the wrong reasons. During the match between AC Milan and Udinese on Matchday 21 of the Italian Serie A, Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan left the field around the 33rd minute after receiving repeated racist insults from the local Udinese fans.
In the beginning, Maignan would have informed the referee from very early moments in the match that a section of the stands was directing racist insults and gestures towards him. The insults continued until well into the 32nd minute of the match when Maignan decided to walk slowly towards the visitor’s dugout to go to the dressing room. The referee understood the situation and decided to officially stop the match in the 33rd minute. Maignan explained the situation to his teammates and opponents, which led to the decision of pausing the match for a few minutes. The game resumed four minutes later as the match officials threatened to suspend the game.
AC Milan, Serie A, and some Udinese players showed their support to Maignan for the situation, and Real Madrid’s anti-racism activist and star, Vinicius Junior, did not stay behind.
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Vinicius supports Maignan’s fight
Vini took to social media to send a message of support to Maignan, also taking the opportunity to condemn racism and call for a strong punishment against those who use it as a vehicle for violence:
“Just talking won’t change anything. These are Maignan’s words. It’s time to imprison the racists so they are ashamed of who they are. I appreciate those who truly support our fight and regret those who only show up with empty words to gain the sympathy of the press. Always with you, Maignan,” Vinicius wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
"Solo hablar no cambiará nada". Estas son palabras de Maignan. Ya es hora de encarcelar a los racistas para que tengan verguenza de quien son.
Agradezco a quienes realmente apoyan nuestra lucha y lamento a quienes sólo aparecen con palabras vacías para ganarse la simpatía de la… https://t.co/a63M8ygo6c
— Vini Jr. (@vinijr) January 21, 2024
Maignan’s statement
“It was not the player who was attacked. It was the man. He is the father of a family. This is not the first time this has happened to me, and I am not the first one this has happened to.
We issue press releases, advertising campaigns, protocols, and nothing has changed.
Ce n’est pas le joueur qui a été attaqué. C’est l’homme. C’est le père de famille. Ce n’est pas la première fois que ça m’arrive. Et je ne suis pas le premier à qui ça arrive.
On a fait des communiqués, des campagnes de publicité, des protocoles et rien n’a changé.… pic.twitter.com/47tfcW4oNo
— Magic Mike Maignan (@mmseize) January 21, 2024
Today, an entire system must take responsibility:
The perpetrators of these acts, because it’s easy to act in a group, in the anonymity of a platform.
The spectators in the stands, who saw everything, heard everything but chose to remain silent, you are accomplices.
Udinese club, which only spoke of a game interruption, as if nothing had happened, is an accomplice.
The authorities and the prosecutor, with everything that is happening, if they do nothing, THEY WILL ALSO BE ACCOMPLICES.
I have already told you, and if it’s worth repeating: I am not a VICTIM. And I want to thank my club AC Milan, my teammates, the referee, Udinese players, and everyone who sent me messages, called me, supported me privately and publicly. I can’t respond to everyone, but I see you, and we are TOGETHER.
It’s a tough fight that will take time and courage. But it’s a fight we will win.”
