Football/The reduction of the sanction against Udinese in the case of racism in football
Udinese will not have to play in an empty stadium on Saturday against Monza, as the Italian Football Federation has reduced, on appeal, the punishment imposed on the club for racist insults directed at AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan by some supporters.
Instead, Udinese will play its next two home matches with only one section of the stadium closed. The federation did not specify why the sanction was reduced on Wednesday.
Maignan had left the field after what he later described as monkey noises during a recent match. The 28-year-old goalkeeper was supported by his teammates, and the match was suspended for about five minutes. They returned, and Milan won 3-2.
Maignan received widespread support from the football community and released a statement calling for stronger action from authorities.
For years, numerous racist incidents have occurred in Italian and European football. In Italy, Kevin-Prince Boateng, Mario Balotelli, and Romelu Lukaku, among others, have been victims of such incidents.
This month, Lazio was penalized with a partial stadium closure for a match due to racist chants against Lukaku.
