Milan forward Rafael Leão latest victim of racial abuse in Italian football

Rafael Leão, the forward for AC Milan, has spoken out against individuals with narrow-minded views after being subjected to racial abuse, highlighting an ongoing issue within Italian football.

Leão, who is of Black descent, exposed a social media post on Instagram where the user expressed discriminatory sentiments towards him in Italian.

In response, the 24-year-old Leão, in Portuguese, expressed his disappointment towards such individuals, emphasizing the presence of narrow-mindedness in society.

The most recent case of racism in Italian football occurred just one month after Leão and his Milan teammates left the field in protest when Rossoneri goalkeeper Mike Maignan was racially abused during a match against Udinese.

Udinese promptly identified the fans responsible and banned them for life.

Milan expressed their support for Leão in a statement on social media, stating, “We are united with you Rafa. Racism has no place in our fanbase or in football.”

Racist incidents have been a longstanding issue in Italian and European football, with notable victims in Italy such as Kevin-Prince Boateng, Mario Balotelli, and Romelu Lukaku.

Last month, Lazio received a one-match partial stadium closure as punishment for racist chants aimed at Lukaku.