"It's a tough fight, it will take time and courage but it's a fight that we will win." Goalkeeper Mike Maignan, in the aftermath of the interrupted match against Udinese due to the racist insults that rained down on him, in a long reflection posted on his social profiles, invites the football system to take its responsibilities. And he accuses Udinese of "complicity", because they were only worried about the interruption of the match .
All those who did not distance themselves from the gesture (including the fans in the stands who did not insult him but booed him when he left the pitch), all those who did not take severe measures, are "accomplices", is the harsh comment of the French goalkeeper
«It is a system that must take responsibility: the authors of these acts, because it is easy to act in a group, in the anonymity of a gallery; the spectators who were in the stands who saw everything, heard everything but decided to remain silent, you are complicit; Udinese who only talked about interrupting the match, as if nothing had happened, you are an accomplice; the authorities and the prosecutor, with everything that is happening, if they do nothing, will be complicit too ."
This is Maignan's harsh stance: « It was not the player who was attacked, but the man, the father of the family . It's not the first time this has happened to me and I'm not the first it's happened to. We have made announcements, advertising campaigns, protocols and nothing has changed."
«I am not a victim – concludes Maignan – and I want to say thanks to my club, Milan, to my teammates, to the referee and the players of Udinese, and to all those who have sent me messages, called me, supported me in private and in public. It is a tough fight, it will take time and courage but it is a fight that we will win ."
There were many demonstrations of solidarity for the goalkeeper. From footballers and clubs, Italian and foreign, from politicians and professionals.
Udinese expressed solidarity with Maignan, underlined that its fans are not racist and said it was ready to take immediate action against the authors of the racist insults, whose identification the police are investigating , because the case was an investigation opened.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino also expressed his opinion on the episode, asking for a ban on access to the stadium for fans who hurl "abominable" insults and went even further, fearing the possibility of a forfeit defeat . «A repugnant and completely unacceptable event. There is no place for racism - Infantino wrote on social media - nor for other forms of discrimination, in football or in society."
(Unioneonline/L)
