The match between Udinese and AC Milan was interrupted minutes after racist insults aimed at Frenchman Mike Magnan.

The French goalkeeper left the field in the 34th minute on Saturday evening, crying monkeys from the stands before returning to finish the match.

France Television – Sports Editorial

A new case of racism in Serie A to mourn. The Italian Championship match between Udinese and AC Milan was interrupted on Saturday 20 January due to racist abuse aimed at the Milan goalkeeper and the team. France, Mike Magnon. The latter alerted the match referee for the first time in the 25th minute of the game, prompting a call from the speaker for the supporters to remain calm.

The former Lille goalkeeper, the target of howling monkeys by Udinese supporters, finally decided to leave the field in the 34th minute, followed by his teammates. They stayed on the edge of the pitch for a few minutes before returning to the locker room. The referee immediately interrupted the match in the 38th minute. Before the restart, after a five-minute interruption, that didn’t stop some of the Udinese supporters from jeering at Mike Magnan every time he touched the ball.

After PSG’s victory at Orleans (4-1) in the Coupe de France, Kylian Mbappé reacted to X: “You are far from the only Mike Magnon. We are all with you. Always the same problems and no solutions. Enough is enough.”The captain of the France team wrote.

The images also prompted a reaction from the Minister of National Education and Sports, Amélie Aude-Castera. “Full support to Mike Mignon who was the victim of racist chants during the meeting between Udinese and AC Milan this evening. Praise for his strong and necessary gesture to leave the pitch, his teammates who supported him. Huge sadness that this could still happen. 2024. We Racism must be fought more than ever. In our fields and beyond.”She wrote on X.

AC Milan in support of its goalkeeper

Trailing 2-1, AC Milan eventually secured their third place in the Italian Championship standings with a 3-2 win. The Lombard club published a message of support for its goalkeeper on its social network before the end of the match: “Racism has no place in our sport, we are outraged, we stand with you”

We could read.

“It particularly upsets me to see a boy as respectful and polite as Mike, not something you should see at a football match”, coach Stefano Pioli regretted his part. Since his arrival in Italy, Mignon has already been a victim of racism, having been insulted by a Juventus Turin supporter in September 2021.