FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on Saturday that teams whose fans engage in racist abuse should be forfeited following the events that took place in the Italian League and the English Championship.
Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan briefly left the field in protest after his team’s 3-2 win over Udinese, due to repeated racist chants from the home team’s fans. He informed the referee before heading to the team’s dressing room, followed by his teammates, before returning a few minutes later.
Earlier on Saturday, Coventry midfielder Casey Palmer said he was the victim of racist abuse in the closing stages of a 2-1 away win over Sheffield Wednesday.
Infantino said in a statement issued by FIFA: “The events that took place in Udine and Sheffield Wednesday are completely abhorrent and completely unacceptable. There is no place for racism or any form of discrimination, either in football or in society. The players affected by the incident Saturday’s events have my full support.” .
“In addition to the three-step process [match stopped, match stopped again and match abandoned]He added: “We need to impose an automatic defeat on the team whose fans committed racism and caused the match to be cancelled, in addition to banning stadiums around the world and bringing criminal charges against the racists.”
Maignan, who was also subjected to racist chants in a match against Cagliari two seasons ago, called for tougher punishments for those responsible.
“I said we cannot play football this way,” Maignan told Sky Sports Italia. “This is not the first time it has happened this way.” He added: “They have to impose very severe sanctions, because the talks are no longer doing anything.
“We have to say that what they are doing is wrong. It is not about the entire audience. Most fans want to support their team and make fun of you. This is normal, but not this.”
The French international called for holding “the entire system” accountable. In a post on X Sunday.
“The perpetrators of these acts, because it is easy to act in a group anonymously on a platform, the spectators who were in the stands, who saw everything, who heard everything but chose to remain silent, you are complicit.” Minyan books.
Meanwhile, Palmer he wrote in a post on X That the racist treatment he received must be addressed.
“I’m disappointed that I even had to come here and write this. Racism is a disgrace…it has no place in the world, let alone football. I’m black and proud and I’m raising my three kids to be just like them. I’ll be honest, it doesn’t seem like things are going to go wrong,” he wrote. “It never changes, no matter how hard we try.”
“A couple fans chanting monkey chants does not define a fan base – I appreciate all the love and support I have received.”
