AC Milan star Kevin Prince Boateng walked off the field on Thursday in the middle of a match against fourth-division side Pro Patria after allegedly becoming fed up with racist chants from fans. Boateng angrily picked the ball up, kicked it toward the stands, took his jersey off and walked off the field.
According to The Independent, players from both sides tried to calm Boateng down before eventually joining him and walking off the pitch. Many of the fans in attendance applauded as the game was canceled. After the game, Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri expressed his disappointment over the incident and apologized to the fans who acted responsibly.
“We are disappointed and saddened by what has happened,” he told reporters. “Milan play for the right to respect all players. We need to stop these uncivilised gestures. We are sorry for all the other fans who came here for a beautiful day of sport. We promise to return, and we are sorry for the club and players of Pro Patria, but we could not make any other decision. I hope it can be an important signal.”
Boateng, who is of Ghanian descent, posted the following message on Twitter after the game:
Shame that these things still happen… #StopRacismforever
— Kevin-Prince Boateng (@KPBofficial) January 3, 2013
Unfortunately, we live in a generation where racism is still a part of professional sports and it should not be tolerated. Many professional soccer clubs have a major problem with racism among fans, and our hats are off to Boateng, his teammates and opponents for taking a stand against it.
H/T The Big Lead
