AC Milan Goalkeeper Mike Maignan Faces Political Backlash After Racist Abuse Incident

A leading soccer goalkeeper, Mike Maignan, who is Black, recently experienced racist abuse during a match in Italy’s top league. The incident occurred during a Serie A match at the BlueEnergy Stadium in Udine, Italy, where Udinese fans allegedly made monkey sounds and other racist chants towards Maignan. This incident adds to the long list of racist abuse incidents in Italian soccer.

Maignan, who plays for AC Milan and the French national team, took a stand against the abuse by leading his team off the pitch. AC Milan coach Stefano Pioli praised Maignan for his strength and composure during a media conference before Milan’s Serie A home match against Bologna.

However, instead of focusing on supporting Maignan, the incident has become a political issue in Italy. Italian political parties seem more interested in scoring party points than addressing the appropriate response to the racist abuse. Initially, Udinese was ordered to play their next match against AC Monza in an empty stadium as punishment. But after Udinese appealed, the decision was overturned by Italy’s football federation, the FIGC. The punishment was then reduced to playing the next two matches without fans in the Curva Nord section, where the perpetrators of the racist incident were seated. Udinese has also banned the five identified fans from their stadium for life.

In an attempt to show support for Maignan, Udine city mayor Alberto Felice De Toni offered him honorary citizenship as a gesture of friendship. However, when the city council voted on the matter, members of the far-right political party Lega voted against granting Maignan honorary citizenship. This denial of honorary citizenship in the city where he was racially attacked was seen as a missed opportunity to unite the city and distance itself from the incident.

Pietro Fontanini, a member of the Lega party, argued that Maignan did not deserve citizenship for being a victim. Fontanini stated that honorary citizenship should be awarded to individuals who have contributed to the socio-cultural well-being of citizens, which he believed did not apply to Maignan.

Tobias Jones, an investigative journalist and author, explained that for years, players were condemned for their reactions to racist abuse, which emboldened racist fans. He also highlighted that in Italy, institutional figures often inadvertently echo racism by making derogatory statements about players of different races. Jones emphasized the need for a change in mentality and attitude towards racism in Italian soccer.

The incident involving Maignan is not an isolated case. In 2010, AC Milan midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng made history by walking off the pitch during a friendly match due to racist abuse. Despite promises of zero-tolerance measures from the FIGC at the time, racist incidents continue to occur in Italian soccer.

Carlo Tavecchio, former FIGC Vice President, faced sanctions in 2014 for racist remarks against Black players. His comments sparked a new wave of racism, including fans throwing banana peels onto the pitch and making monkey sounds. In 2019, Italian football experienced a surge in racist incidents, leading Serie A to launch an anti-racism initiative.

The incident involving Mike Maignan highlights the ongoing issue of racism in Italian soccer. Institutions, clubs, and individuals must take a united stand against racism and work towards creating a more inclusive and respectful environment for all players.