Italian Banned for 10 Matches for Racist Abuse of Wolves Striker Hwang

Wolverhampton Wanderers' South Korean striker #11 Hwang Hee-chan reacts during the English Premier League football match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Liverpool at the Molineux stadium in Wolverhampton, central England on September 28, 2024. (AFP)
Wolverhampton Wanderers' South Korean striker #11 Hwang Hee-chan reacts during the English Premier League football match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Liverpool at the Molineux stadium in Wolverhampton, central England on September 28, 2024. (AFP)
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Italian Banned for 10 Matches for Racist Abuse of Wolves Striker Hwang

Wolverhampton Wanderers' South Korean striker #11 Hwang Hee-chan reacts during the English Premier League football match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Liverpool at the Molineux stadium in Wolverhampton, central England on September 28, 2024. (AFP)
Wolverhampton Wanderers' South Korean striker #11 Hwang Hee-chan reacts during the English Premier League football match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Liverpool at the Molineux stadium in Wolverhampton, central England on September 28, 2024. (AFP)

Italian defender Marco Curto has been banned for 10 matches for racially abusing South Korean forward Hwang Hee-chan while playing for Como against Wolverhampton Wanderers in a pre-season friendly in July.

Curto, who is currently on loan from Como to Serie B club Cesena, will serve half of the punishment immediately with the other half suspended for two years.

"The player Marco Curto was found responsible for discriminatory behavior and sanctioned with a 10-match suspension," a FIFA spokesperson said.

"The player is ordered to render community services and undergo training and education with an organization approved by FIFA."

Wolves said the club would file a complaint with UEFA after the incident in the Spanish resort of Marbella that sparked an angry response from Hwang's teammates and led to the dismissal of winger Daniel Podence for punching a Como player.

"We welcome FIFA's decision to sanction Marco Curto following the discriminatory incident during our pre-season friendly against Como 1907," the Premier League club's Director of Football Matt Wild said in a statement.

"The suspension issued to the player sends a clear message that racism and discriminatory behavior will not be tolerated in football or society.

"Wolves will always stand firmly against racism and discrimination in any form, and we remain fully committed to creating an environment where everyone feels respected and included."

Como representatives were not immediately available for comment outside business hours.

In July, while condemning racism, Como said that Curto had referred to Hwang as "Jackie Chan" - the Hong Kong movie star - after hearing the Wolves players calling the forward by his nickname, "Channy".

"As far as our club is concerned our player did not say anything in a derogatory manner," the club said. "We are disappointed that the reaction of certain Wolves players has seen the incident blown out of proportion."

At the last FIFA Congress in Bangkok in May, President Gianni Infantino launched what he described as a "global stand against racism".

The governing body promised five areas of action, including mandatory sanctions for incidents of racism in or around matches.

"Racism is a scourge that exists in our society and is one also that is infiltrated in football," Infantino told the gathering of football officials from around the world.

"For too long we were not capable of dealing with it in an appropriate way. We need to stand up and fight racism and defeat racism all together."



Mbappe under Fire for Skipping France Duty While Fit to Play for Real

Football - Euro 2024 - Group D - France v Poland - Dortmund BVB Stadion, Dortmund, Germany - June 25, 2024 France's Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring their first goal. (Reuters)
Football - Euro 2024 - Group D - France v Poland - Dortmund BVB Stadion, Dortmund, Germany - June 25, 2024 France's Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring their first goal. (Reuters)
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Mbappe under Fire for Skipping France Duty While Fit to Play for Real

Football - Euro 2024 - Group D - France v Poland - Dortmund BVB Stadion, Dortmund, Germany - June 25, 2024 France's Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring their first goal. (Reuters)
Football - Euro 2024 - Group D - France v Poland - Dortmund BVB Stadion, Dortmund, Germany - June 25, 2024 France's Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring their first goal. (Reuters)

France captain Kylian Mbappe is facing criticism in his home country for skipping Les Bleus' Nations League games against Israel and Belgium while being available to play for Real Madrid.

The forward picked up a muscle injury last month but made his return to the pitch in the Champions League last Wednesday.

France coach Didier Deschamps left Mbappe out of the squad he announced on Thursday, saying the 25-year-old lacked preparation, having played too few matches.

Mbappe started Real's La Liga game against Villarreal on Saturday.

"Either you're injured, and you don't play with your club and you're not called up in the national team," former France international Maxime Bossis told French sports daily L'Equipe on Monday.

"But when you come off the bench in the Champions League and you start a league game, it makes things fuzzy. He's a special player. We've known that with Michel Platini, when we still wanted him with us when he was injured."

Mbappe's situation is more complicated because the former Paris St Germain player is the national team captain after being handed the armband ahead of Antoine Griezmann, who last week announced his retirement from international football.

Griezmann's commitment to Les Bleus was never in doubt as the Atletico Madrid forward played a record 84 consecutive matches for his country between 2017 and 2024.

"As a captain (Mbappe) must be an example for the fans, and he has not been," Fabien Bonnet, spokesperson for the Irresistibles Francais, the main France supporters' group, told L'Equipe.

"What emerges is that the real captain, Antoine Griezmann, is gone."

France, second in Group A, face Israel in Budapest on Thursday and travel to Belgium next Monday.