There will be a lot of eyes on AC Milan captain Mike Maignan during tonight’s game against Udinese, for various reasons.

La Gazzetta dello Sport write that more than a thousand days have passed, but the story, sadly, remains the same. The virus of racism continues to infect the world of football and Maignan remains a victim of it.

From Udine on 20 January 2024 to Bournemouth on Thursday. From opposing fans to those who, in reality, should support him even after a serious mistake like the Frenchman’s in the Europa League. Tonight, he will return to the pitch at the Bluenergy Stadium, where it all began.

The disgrace of 2024

“They called me a monkey,” Maignan denounced after the public protest staged in the 33rd minute of the Rossoneri’s 2023-24 match in Friuli.

The Milan goalkeeper, after repeatedly informing the fourth official of the racist behavior of the home fans in the stands behind him, left his goal, approached Pioli’s bench, and asked his team-mates to leave the pitch.

The referee Maresca suspended the match and, after the then-Milan coach convinced his number one to return to the pitch, he restarted it after a five-minute interruption. Udinese would pay the price with a game behind closed doors and the responsible fans (once identified) got a lifetime ban.

The virus has not yet been eradicated. Proof of this is that it was the Milan ‘fans’ themselves who directed racist insults at their goalkeeper on social media, under the post in which he tried to explain the reason for his red card against Bournemouth.

Overall, the Friulian atmosphere doesn’t seem to be particularly good for Maignan, who, before playing tomorrow, has only returned once to face Udinese at the Bluenergy Stadium since the evening of January 2024.

That was almost a year and a half later, in April 2025, when he was pelted with boos from the home fans, which then turned into cheers of encouragement when, following a nasty collision with Alex Jimenez, he was forced off the pitch in the 56th minute.

Last season, however, the former Lille man’s return to Udinese was cancelled due to a calf injury sustained six days earlier during a league match against Bologna. Now, Maignan is expected to be back in goal in Udine, and hopes for a more positive evening.