Juventus have identified the fan that racially abused Mike Maignan in the recent game versus Milan. He had personally posted the video in question on Telegram. The Bianconeri will soon banish him from the Stadium for an extended period of time.
It did not take long for the police to find the culprit Davide Gabrielli. The 40-year old workman resides in Rovigo, about 400 kilometers away from Turin, and is a union official. He had added the message “Mission accomplished” while sharing the video. The Federal prosecutor did not need to open an inquiry to look into the matter. The cameras of the arena had also caught him.
Gabrielli had quickly deleted the post and profiles on social media following to the uproar, La Gazzetta dello Sport reports. However, some Milan fans had saved it and disclosed his telephone number online. The Juventus fan club in Castagnaro, which he was part of, quickly expelled him.
The supporter will now face a criminal investigation for inciting racial hatred. In a similar event in the past, Juventus had banned the offender for five years. Gabrielli apologized to a local newspaper: “I behaved like an idiot. I had drunk too much and was beside myself. Hearing that, I do not recognize myself. I was irresponsible and made a huge mistake.” He claimed not to be a racist and that he would like to meet Maignan personally. The goalkeeper had urged those in charge to do more to tackle the widespread issue after the incident.