Juventus investigates fans who racially abused AC Milan's Mike Maignan
Some Juventus fans hurled a slew of racist insults against AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan as he was warming up ahead of the match at Juve's Allianz Stadium.
![AC Milan's French goalkeeper Mike Maignan warms up prior to the Italian Serie A football match between AC Milan and Cagliari at the San Siro stadium in Milan on August 29, 2021. AC Milan's French goalkeeper Mike Maignan warms up prior to the Italian Serie A football match between AC Milan and Cagliari at the San Siro stadium in Milan on August 29, 2021.](https://cdn-i.pr.trt.com.tr/trtworld/w664/h374/q70/0m_114585_ITAMikeMaignan_1632261734041.jpeg)
AC Milan's French goalkeeper Mike Maignan warms up prior to the Italian Serie A football match between AC Milan and Cagliari at the San Siro stadium in Milan on August 29, 2021.
AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan blasted those who racially abused him before his team's 1-1 draw at Juventus at the weekend and the football authorities' attempts at tackling the problem, saying that he was "black and proud.”
Juventus confirmed that they had launched an investigation into the abuse, caught on a video which spread quickly on social media.
It showed an off-camera fan launching a stream of racist insults at the France international while he warmed up ahead of Sunday's match at Juve's Allianz Stadium.
📽 @storiesilenti: Maignan was the victim of racism by Juventus fans 🤬🤬🤬pic.twitter.com/C1EoD3Xd28
— Milan Posts (@MilanPosts) September 20, 2021
In posts on Twitter and Instagram, the 26-year-old Maignan said that "as long as these events are treated as 'isolated incidents' and no comprehensive action is taken, history is bound to repeat itself over and over and over again.”
"Do the people who make decisions know what it feels like to hear insults and chants reducing us to animals? Do they know what it does to our families, to our loved ones who see it and who do not understand why it's still happening in 2021?" he continued.
"I am not a 'victim' of racism. I'm Mike, upright, black and proud."
— Mike Maignan (@mmseize) September 21, 2021
A Juve spokesperson said the club were working to identify the person who insulted Maignan and the one who recorded it.
Italian media report that the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) is also considering opening its own investigation into the incident.
This is the second incident of racism in a Serie A stadium since football grounds were reopened to the public at 50 percent capacity at the start of this season.
On Friday the FIGC opened an investigation into alleged racist chants by Lazio fans towards Milan midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko earlier this month.