AC Milan midfielder, Michael Essien, says that football authorities need to act quickly to eradicate racism from the game.
Verona were recently handed a partial stadium closure sanction after fans racially abused Sulley Muntari in this weekend's fixture against AC Milan, and Essien showed support for his teammate, insisting that there is no place for racism in football.
"Racism really makes me sad. The fact that in 2014 there are some stupid people that still behave like this really makes me sad," Essien told Milan Channel in an interview.
"Generally speaking, those situations are awful for us but also for football.
"For instance, it was sad to see an empty ground during the game between CSKA Moscow and Manchester City last night.
"I think that this is the moment to act in order to change this situation. We need to stop these things that happen very often in stadiums once and for all."
The Ghanaian then discussed the performances of his teammates, Fernando Torres and Keisuke Honda.
"Fernando Torres is a great player. I see him training at his best every day. I am sure that he'll help us a lot throughout this season and that he will soon start to score many goals.
"Honda just finds himself in such an incredible form. He always plays for the team and also scores lots of goals. I really hope he can carry on scoring and keep doing well."
Essien joined Milan in the summer of 2013 and has made 10 Serie A appearances for the club, but has yet to score any goals.
What do you think is the best way to kick racism out of football? Have your say in the comments section below.
