by The Frenchman Mike Maignan, who this Saturday left the Udinese field for several minutes after receiving racist insults from some of the local fans, exploded with a statement in which he targeted the rival fans, but also the football authorities, whom he labeled as “accomplices” if they did not act.
“It was not the player who was attacked. It was the man. It was the father of the family. This is not the first time this has happened to me. We issue press releases, advertising campaigns, protocols and nothing has changed. Today, an entire system must assume responsibility,” she said in a statement on social media.
“The spectators who were in the stands, who saw everything, who heard everything but who chose to remain silent, are complicit,” he said.
And he charged against Udinese and against the football authorities.
“The Udinese club, which only talked about an interruption of the match, as if nothing had happened, is complicit. The authorities and the Prosecutor’s Office, with everything that is happening, if they do nothing, THEY WILL ALSO BE COMPLICIES“he lashed out.
The Frenchman does not want to be classified as a victim and thanked the messages of support received during these hours.
“I have already told you and it is worth repeating: I am not a VICTIM. And I want to thank Milan, my teammates, the referee, the Udinese players and everyone who sent me messages, those who called me, those who supported me in private and in public. I can’t answer everyone but I see them and we are TOGETHER. It is a difficult fight, which requires time and courage. But it is a fight that we will win,” he stated.
Maignan left the field for 5 minutes half an hour into the match against Udinese due to racist insults coming from the stands of the local stadium.
The goalkeeper warned the referee several times during the first half hour that he was receiving these insults until he got fed up with the situation. When he went to the locker room, the rest of his teammates followed him inside.
Four minutes later, in the 38th minute of the first half, with the score 0-1 in favor of the ‘Rossoneri’ and some of the Udinese players asking their own fans for explanations, Maignan and the rest of the Milan players returned to the field and the referee resumed the match.
The referee warned that, in the event of new racist insults, the match would be permanently suspended.
