The Fifa president, Gianni Infantino, has called for the implementation of an automatic forfeit of games for teams whose fans commit racist abuse after the “totally abhorrent” incidents at Udinese and Sheffield Wednesday.
Milan’s players walked off the pitch after France international goalkeeper Mike Maignan reported hearing monkey noises coming from a section of the crowd at the Stadio Friuli.
Kasey Palmer from Coventry reported experiencing similar mistreatment at Hillsborough. As a result, their 2-1 victory was momentarily paused as the referees consulted with both team managers.
The players of Milan came back to win 3-2 in extra time, but Infantino believes there should be stricter penalties. In a post on Fifa’s website, he stated that in addition to the three-step process (stopping the match, restarting, and abandoning), there should be a automatic forfeit for the team whose fans engage in racism and cause the match to be abandoned. He also proposed worldwide stadium bans and criminal charges for those involved in racist behavior.
Fifa and the world of football strongly stand in support of those affected by racism and any type of discrimination. We must put an end to racism and all forms of discrimination once and for all. The incidents that occurred in Udine and Sheffield on Saturday were extremely appalling and completely unacceptable. I offer my full support to the players who were impacted by these events. It is crucial for all parties involved to take action, beginning with educating students in schools about the fact that these behaviors have no place in football or in society.
“Regrettably, this is a recurring issue in the world of football,” stated Maignan during an interview on Milan TV, where he confirmed he heard fans making racist chants. “Despite the presence of cameras and penalties for such behavior, action must be taken to bring about change. We all have a responsibility to respond and take action, as this type of behavior has no place in the sport.”
On Sunday, the French citizen urged for responsibility to be taken. He stated, “Those who committed these actions, as it is simple to act in a group on a platform where one can remain anonymous, and the audience in the stands who witnessed everything but chose to stay quiet, are accomplices,” in his message.
On Sunday, Udinese released a statement expressing remorse and condemning any instances of racism and violence. The mayor of Udine, Alberto Felice De Toni, has invited Maignan to visit the city and participate in efforts to combat discrimination. He also plans to propose to the city council that Maignan be granted honorary citizenship.
Inter Milan’s cross-town rivals, Internazionale, have expressed their public support for Mike Maignan. The Italian football league, Serie A, stated that they condemn all acts of racism. French national team member Kylian Mbappé also added his voice to the conversation, saying “enough is enough”. He further showed his support for Maignan by stating, “You are not alone, Mike Maignan. We stand with you. It is disheartening to see that these issues persist without any resolution. We must say no to racism.” Mbappé shared this message on social media platform X.
Ian Wright, a former striker for England and Arsenal, praised the unity shown by the Milan team and encouraged other teams to follow suit by walking off the field when faced with abuse. He took to X to state, “We have tried playing through it and nothing has improved. Points should be deducted instead of just issuing fines.”
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Coventry midfielder Palmer expressed doubt that there would be any significant changes in the game, adding on X: “Racism is unacceptable…it has no place in society, especially not in football. I am proud of my Black identity and I am raising my three children to be the same. Unfortunately, it seems that no matter how much effort we put in, things will never improve. A few fans making monkey chants do not represent the entire fanbase – I am grateful for all the love and support I have received.”
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The owner of Coventry, Doug King, and the manager, Mark Robins, spoke out against the abuse and expressed their complete support for Palmer. Sheffield Wednesday also stated their shock and sadness regarding the alleged incident and promised to take strict action against those responsible, both within the club and legally.
The organization Kick It Out praised Maignan and Palmer for their bravery. They stated, “It is now the responsibility of authorities and clubs to take action against those who are responsible. If clubs are unable to prevent these incidents, they should also face consequences.” The statement continued, “We support the call for stricter and more significant punishments as suggested by Fifa. It should not be the players’ burden to address this issue. They are already exhibiting courage in the face of intense distress and emotional trauma. What they need is action, not just words.”
Source: theguardian.com
