Probe ordered into racial abuse of Milan star

The Italian football federation has launched an investigation into the alleged racist abuse that led AC Milan defender Kevin Constant to walk off the pitch during a pre-season match with Sassuolo.

The probe was ordered on Wednesday after the Guinea international, 26, kicked the ball high into the stands before walking off in reaction to racist insults from the crowd during the first half of the TIM Trophy match in Reggio Emilia on Tuesday. 

The federation said it had “opened an inquiry into the racist event… in which Milan player Kevin Constant was the target of chants from some of the supporters in the stadium.”

The incident comes seven months after Milan midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng also left the field in almost identical fashion after being the victim of racist abuse during a friendly against fourth-tier side Pro Patria .

On that occasion the Ghana midfielder was followed off by the rest of the Milan side and the match was abandoned.

AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani was quoted by Italian media on Wednesday as saying that “racist chants are scandalous, unspeakable, but you cannot leave the pitch. That’s not okay.”

Last night’s game in continued, with Milan substituting Constant before going on to lose to newly-promoted Serie A side Sassuolo 2-1.

Fifa ushered in strict new anti-racism and discrimination rules in May that could see teams docked points or even relegated for repeated racist incidents by fans.