Italian banned 10 matches; Mbappe criticized for France
Karnataka News
An Italian player has been handed a severe 10-match ban for a deplorable act of racist abuse directed at Wolves striker Hwang, a stark reminder of the persistent issue of racism in football. This incident, coupled with Mbappe’s controversial absence from his national team duties, has sparked a crucial debate about player commitment and the standards of accountability within the sport.
Italian banned 10 matches for racist abuse of Hwang
Curto, on loan from Como to Cesena in Serie B, will serve half his penalty now, with the remainder suspended for two years.
“The player Marco Curto was found responsible for discriminatory behavior and sanctioned with a 10-match suspension,” a FIFA spokesperson said.
“The player is ordered to render community services and undergo training and education with an organization approved by FIFA.”
Wolves announced they would lodge a complaint with UEFA following the incident in Marbella, Spain, which incited a furious reaction from Hwang’s teammates and resulted in winger Daniel Podence being sent off for punching a Como player.
“We welcome FIFA’s decision to sanction Marco Curto following the discriminatory incident during our pre-season friendly against Como 1907,”In a statement, the Premier League club’s Director of Football, Matt Wild, said.
“The suspension issued to the player sends a clear message that racism and discriminatory behavior will not be tolerated in football or society.
“Wolves will always stand firmly against racism and discrimination in any form, and we remain fully committed to creating an environment where everyone feels respected and included.”
Como representatives were unavailable for comment outside of business hours.
In July, Como condemned racism and stated that Curto had called Hwang “Jackie Chan” – the Hong Kong movie star – after hearing the Wolves players refer to the forward as “Channy.”
“As far as our club is concerned, our player did not say anything in a derogatory manner,” the club said. “We are disappointed that the reaction of certain Wolves players has seen the incident blown out of proportion.”
At the recent FIFA Congress in Bangkok in May, President Gianni Infantino introduced what he called a “global stand against racism.”
The governing body pledged five action areas, including mandatory penalties for incidents of racism during or around matches.
“Racism is a scourge that exists in our society and is one also that is infiltrated in football,” Infantino told the gathering of football officials from around the world.
“For too long, we were not capable of dealing with it in an appropriate way. We need to stand up and fight racism and defeat racism all together.”
Mbappe faces criticism for missing France duty while being fit to play for Real
The forward sustained a muscle injury last month but returned to the field in the Champions League last Wednesday.
France coach Didier Deschamps excluded Mbappe from the squad, which was announced on Thursday, stating that the 25-year-old was unprepared due to having played too few matches.
Mbappe started Real’s La Liga match against Villarreal on Saturday.
Former France international Maxime Bossis stated in an interview with French sports daily L’Equipe on Monday that if a player is injured, they shouldn’t play for their club or be selected for the national team.
“But when you come off the bench in the Champions League and you start a league game, it makes things fuzzy. He’s a special player. We’ve known that with Michel Platini when we still wanted him with us when he was injured.”
Mbappe’s situation is more complex, as he is the national team captain, having received the armband over Antoine Griezmann, who announced his retirement from international football last week.
Griezmann’s dedication to Les Bleus was always clear, as the Atletico Madrid forward participated in a record 84 consecutive matches for his country from 2017 to 2024.
“As a captain (Mbappe) must be an example for the fans, and he has not been,” Fabien Bonnet, spokesperson for the Irresistibles Francais, the main France supporters’ group, told L’Equipe.
“What emerges is that the real captain, Antoine Griezmann, is gone.”
France, currently second in Group A, will play against Israel in Budapest on Thursday before heading to Belgium next Monday.
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