Yet another racist incident rocks Italian football league Serie A

Udinese striker, Keinan Davis, has accused a Cagliari footballer of directing a racist slur at him following the  match between the two sides last weekend.

According to several media reports, a scuffle broke out between players from both teams after the final whistle, before Davis alleged defender Alberto Dossena, called him a “monkey”.

Tensions escalated on the pitch after Udinese’s 2-0 victory in the 36th round of the 2025–2026 Serie A season.

On his social media, Davis described Dossena’s actions as “cowardly racist behaviour” and called out the Italian football league, saying he “hope[s] Serie A takes action”.

Meanwhile, Dossena denies the allegations.

Keinan Davis shown yellow card for protest

Davis confirmed to reporters that the words directed at him were the main cause of the clash, noting he had informed the referee of what had happened during the final minutes of the game.

GOAL reported that the referee initially showed the English striker a yellow card for his protest, before rescinding it after the circumstances of the incident were clarified.

For its part, Udinese announced its full solidarity with Davis, who joined the team from Aston Villa in 2023.

In an official statement, the team said:

Udinese stands by Keenan Davis, who was subjected to offensive and racist abuse by a player from the opposing team. We strongly condemn these disgraceful acts, which tarnish the image of sport and its values.

The club added that it would defend its player “in all appropriate legal and sporting forums”, expressing its confidence that the relevant authorities would deal with the incident “with the necessary speed and firmness”.

Racism in Italian football persists

Udinese teammate, Jesper Karlström, also expressed his support for Davis, insisting that the player involved “should never set foot on a pitch again” should the incident be proven.

In contrast, Caligari team manager, Fabio Pisacane, has expressed his confidence in his player’s account.

This incident brings the issue of racism back to the forefront of Italian football, despite the campaigns and sanctions launched by sporting bodies in recent years to tackle discrimination on the pitch.

Featured image via Getty Images

By Alaa Shamali

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