“You must leave the field and bang your fist on the table” -Thuram on players suffering racism

Back in January, AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan was the subject of racist abuse by Udinese fans during a Serie A game. He said that fans were making monkey noises at him and that it was not the first time it had happened. His teammates attempted to console him, but eventually he walked off the field and into the tunnel, causing the game to be suspended shortly during the first half. After about five minutes, the game resumed and Milan won, which Maignan said was “the appropriate response”.

Fellow French international Marcus Thuram has spoken out on the matter, saying he “agrees 100 percent” with the decision to leave the field and in fact, encourages all players who experience racism to do the same.

“If the player in question stays on the field, I think it sends out a signal that when these things happen, you have to carry on playing when you shouldn’t,” said Thuram. “You must leave the field and bang your fist on the table to make it clear that these things are unacceptable.”