Milan duo Bakayoko & Kessie get large fine while displays of racism are shoved under the carpet

This is all totally and completely shameful.

A day after a video of Lazio fans making racist chants against AC Milan’s Tiémoué Bakayoko surfaced, reports of a hefty fine being levied against Bakayoko and Franck Kessie for holding up Lazio defender Francesco Acerbi’s shirt last weekend at the San Siro.

It’s being reported that the FIGC and prosecutors have no interest in dealing with any “alleged” racist behavior from Lazio fans, just as they gave virtually no penalty to Inter Milan fans after they racially abused Kessie during the Derby della Madonnina, even after being forced to play behind closed doors due to racist fan behavior earlier in the season.

The lack of penalty comes only weeks after the high-profile incident between Cagliari fans and Juventus forward Moise Kean, where Cagliari fans had racially abused the teenager all game before openly and loudly abusing him after he scored a goal at the Sardegna Arena against the home team, after which Kean’s own teammate, Leonardo Bonucci, showed a lack of support to the young forward by claiming that the fans were “provoked” into racist chants. And while Bonucci walked his comments back a few days later after a huge backlash, it is still telling that the first instinct of those inside Italian football is to try and excuse the unacceptable behavior.

However, when it comes to “unsporting” behavior, the FIGC is quick to throw the book at the Milan players. The reported €86,000 fine has been accepted by the pair, as it seems that both of them, and Milan, just want the whole thing to go away. And keep in mind that Acerbi himself has accepted the apology from them and the brass at Lazio haven’t had a problem with it at all. Milan have backed the players, but at this point the writing is on the wall and both Kessie and Bakayoko, along with Milan, just want to avoid suspensions.

As usual, racist behavior by fans has gone ignored by the Italian footballing authorities, while two players of African heritage are given heavy fines by the FIGC for “unsporting” behavior. It’s disgusting and the players and fans of Serie A deserve better and deserve footballing authorities who will find a way to deal with the racist fans, because what they are doing now just isn’t working.