Kevin-Prince Boateng on racist chanting: I'd walk off again

 

Kevin-Prince Boateng says he would walk off the field again if subjected to racist abuse.

Boateng's AC Milan side walked out of a friendly after he was subjected to racist chants by fans of Italian lower division club Pro Patria.
In an interview with CNN,  Boateng, 25, said: "I don't care what game it is - a friendly, Italian league or Champions League match - I would walk off again."
Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi praised Boateng for his stand against racism.

“Racist abuse should be reported to the match officials by the player and team captain. If the abuse does continue the officials should abandon the game.”

Gordon Taylor PFA chief executive

Berlusconi, the former Italian prime minister, had earlier stated that Milan would take the same stance in any other game, including European matches.

He said in a statement: "I called Kevin-Prince Boateng a little while ago and congratulated him for his reaction against the disgraceful episode of racism that took place in Busto Arsizio.
"I am very happy with Milan's reaction and be assured that in all games where we experience episodes of this kind, Milan will leave the field."
Gordon Taylor, the chief executive of the Professional Footballers' Association, has warned players they could find themselves in trouble if they walk off before the referee decides to abandon a match.
"Racist abuse should be reported to the match officials by the player and team captain, and then the crowd warned," said Taylor. "If the abuse does continue then the officials should abandon the game.
"The warning will also be an opportunity for responsible fans to influence those who are perpetrating the abuse."
Fifa and Uefa, the world and European governing bodies of football, have previously warned against players walking off the field of play.
In Busto Arsizio, a 20-year-old unemployed man was reported to prosecutors for his alleged involvement in the racist chants that caused the friendly to be abandoned.
The man is said to have admitted to being part of a group of fans who directed abuse at the players.