The news comes courtesy of the Associated Press (via Fox News): "Play was halted for approximately a minute-and-a-half in the second half at San Siro to allow Roma captain Francesco Totti to gesture to his team's fans to cease and desist."
The Roma fans who were visiting San Siro on Sunday afternoon were already warned via the loudspeaker in the first half, but when they continued to direct abuse at Milan players after the break, referee Gianluca Rocchi halted play.
Milan missed out on a chance to secure Champions League football next season with a 0-0 draw that showcased two red cards and several compelling storylines. Unfortunately, the racist chants will steal the headlines.
This incident is just another in what is disappointingly an all-too-common trend during soccer matches around the world—and most notably in Italy.
Back in January of this year, Milan's Kevin-Prince Boateng was harassed and yelled at by fans in an exhibition match against Pro Patria. He, along with his teammates, walked off the pitch in the middle of the match in protest.
In November, police investigated a Chelsea fan who made a "monkey gesture towards Manchester United striker Danny Welbeck," while John Terry was given a four-match ban for racial abuse against Rio Ferdinand.
Fans at sporting events will undoubtedly always get riled up, but when the jeering turns into racism, it has officially gone over the line.
Of course, it was encouraging to see Francesco Totti urge his own Roma fans to stop on Sunday afternoon, and hopefully instances like this will only decrease in the future.
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