Udinese ordered to play behind closed doors as punishment for Maignan abuse
Udinese have been ordered to play one match behind closed doors after at least one of their supporters directed racist abuse towards Mike Maignan.
Maignan was playing in goal for AC Milan as the Rossoneri visited Udinese's Stadio Friuli on Saturday. But the match as marred when Maignan led Milan off the pitch after reporting he had had been racially abused to the referee.
The game resumed around 10 minutes later, with Noah Okafor scoring a 93rd-minute winner for the visitors. Udinese have since banned a fan for life for abusing Maignan, with the case also being referred to Serie A's sports judge Gerardo Mastrandrea.
Mastrandrea has now issued a one-match stadium ban to I Friulani, the minimum sanction that can be imposed. The judge stated he did this as a result of Udinese's active stance and their willingness to identify those responsible.
The judgement read: "It was noted that the active behaviour of the Udinese club, and the willingness expressed right from the start to collaborate in identifying those responsible, mean that for an event of this magnitude and severity, the minimum sanction provided for by the can be applied."
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Udinese's next home match comes on 3 February against Monza, with Gabriele Cioffi's side currently just a point outside the relegation zone. The abuse caused understandable distress to Maignan, who insisted the incident was not just a one off.
"I said we cannot play football like this. It is not the first time it has happened this way. They must hand out very strong sanctions, because talking no longer does anything," the Milan star told Sky Sports Italia.
Maignan walked off after being racially abused on Saturday (Getty Images)"We have to say that what they are doing is wrong. It is not the whole crowd - most fans want to cheer on their team and jeer you. That's normal, but not this. At the first goal kick I heard monkey noises, I said nothing.
"The second time I went to get the ball, I heard it again. I told the fourth official and my bench what happened. This isn't the first time it has happened. I did not want to play, but we are a family and I could not leave my team-mates like that."
On Monday, Udinese announced they had banned a fan after a joint effort between the police and the club. The ban will prevent them from attending any future Udinese matches.
"We believe that such strong measures are necessary to send a clear message that racism has no place in football or society. Udinese Calcio stands firmly against any form of discrimination," the club said in a statement.
"We are determined to create an inclusive and respectful environment within our football community. We thank the authorities for their cooperation and together we will continue to work tirelessly in order to identify and punish other individuals who were involved.
"We want to ensure that our stadium remains a space where everyone, regardless of their ethnicity, background, culture, and language is able to enjoy the beautiful game without fear of discrimination."
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