AC Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi has praised Kevin-Prince Boateng for his stand against racist chanting during yesterday's mid-season friendly with Pro Patia.
The 25-year-old led a mass walk-off 26 minutes into the game after the Rossoneri's black players were subjected to racial abuse by a section of the crowd.
Berlusconi also vowed that Milan will take the same action in the event of racist abuse, whether it be in Serie A or the Champions League.
"The racist chants? We're ready to walk out in any match, even in international competitions," said the former Italian prime minister.
"I called Boateng a while ago and I congratulated him on his reaction against the disgraceful racism incident in Busto Arsizio. I really appreciated the behavior of my Milan in this case and the declarations from [Massimiliano] Allegri, Barbara [Berlusconi] and the players.
"These uncivilized episodes, these jeers and these denigrating chants are heard too often and offend football and the whole of sport. These heinous acts cause suffering to not only the athletes, but to clubs and the vast majority of fans."
The Italian FA has now launched an investigation into the matter.
Michael Penkman
