The FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, has said that he wants to implement an automatic forfeit of games for teams whose fans commit racist abuse. He made this statement after the totally abhorrent incidents at Udinese and Sheffield Wednesday, where Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan and Coventry midfielder Kasey Palmer were subjected to monkey noises from some fans.
AC Milan’s players walked off the pitch after France international goalkeeper Maignan reported hearing monkey noises coming from a section of the crowd at the Stadio Friuli. The players eventually returned and Milan went on to win 3-2. The incident involving Palmer also happened during Coventry’s 2-1 Championship win over next-to-bottom Sheffield Wednesday and led to the match being stopped for several minutes while the match officials spoke to both managers.
Infantino also called for worldwide stadium bans and criminal charges for racists, as well as education in schools to prevent future generations from engaging in racism and discrimination.
