San Siro midfielder angered by abuse.
AC Milan star Kevin-Prince Boateng stormed off the pitch following racist abuse he received from a group of fans on Thursday, forcing a friendly away game against fourth-tier club Pro Patria to be suspended.
“Shame that these things still happen,” the 25-year-old German-born Ghanaian player said on his Twitter account after the match was stopped in the 26th minute when he led his team off the pitch.
Sports daily Gazzetta dello Sport said it was the first time in Italy that a football game had been suspended because of racist chants.
Boateng picked up the ball, kicked it towards the stands and walked off the pitch in Pro Patria’s home town of Busto Arsizio near Milan.
His teammates walked off after him despite Pro Patria players begging them to stay and whistles from most of the home fans against the racists.
The referee had already suspended the game twice before Boateng’s outburst for repeated insults against the striker and fellow black teammates Sulley Muntari, M’Baye Niang and Urby Emanuelson.
“Pulling out was the right choice with something like this,” said Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri. “We have to stop it with these uncouth acts. Italy as a country has to improve and become more civilized and intelligent,” he told reporters. Captain Massimo Ambrosini added:
“That was intolerable, it was only a friendly. We couldn’t have gone on like that, we had to give a signal.” There were many expressions of support for Boateng’s unprecedented move from football fans on social media networks, as well as from Italy’s football federation president Giancarlo Abete who spoke of a “resurgence of racial discrimination.”
“This was an unspeakable and intolerable incident,” said Abete, calling on federation prosecutors to work together with police and identify the racists.
Sports daily Gazzetta dello Sport said it was the first time in Italy that a football game had been suspended because of racist chants.
The referee had already suspended the game twice before Boateng’s outburst for repeated insults against the striker and fellow black teammates Sulley Muntari, M’Baye Niang and Urby Emanuelson.
“Pulling out was the right choice with something like this,” said Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri. “We have to stop it with these uncouth acts. Italy as a country has to improve and become more civilized and intelligent,” he told reporters. Captain Massimo Ambrosini added:
“That was intolerable, it was only a friendly. We couldn’t have gone on like that, we had to give a signal.” There were many expressions of support for Boateng’s unprecedented move from football fans on social media networks, as well as from Italy’s football federation president Giancarlo Abete who spoke of a “resurgence of racial discrimination.”
“This was an unspeakable and intolerable incident,” said Abete, calling on federation prosecutors to work together with police and identify the racists.
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