Cagliari FC has responded with surprise and profound disappointment to an accusation of racist abuse made by Udinese’s Keinan Davis against one of their players. The club has emphasized that the alleged incident lacked any objective evidence or substantiation.
While neither club initially named the player involved, both Udinese’s Keinan Davis and Cagliari’s coach Fabio Pisacane have indicated that Alberto Dossena is the Cagliari player accused of the racist slur. The incident reportedly occurred in the closing minutes of Udinese’s 2-0 victory, shortly after Davis had alerted the referee to racist insults directed at him from the stands.
Cagliari’s Official Statement on the Udinese Accusation
In their official statement, Cagliari Calcio declared: “Cagliari Calcio has taken note, with surprise and deep disappointment, of the statement issued by Udinese Calcio following today’s match. The Club reiterates in the strongest possible terms that its values, history, and sporting culture leave no room for any form of discrimination, racism, or violence, whether verbal or physical. Any conduct that is contrary to respect for the individual and to the principles of sport must always be condemned in the clearest possible manner. The matter concerning the events on the pitch was addressed and clarified after the match, with full regard for the facts, as the alleged incident found no objective evidence or substantiation.”
If found guilty of racist abuse towards an opposing player, Dossena could face a significant ban of up to 10 Serie A matches. However, the outcome will depend on whether any video evidence or corroborating witness testimony emerges to support the allegation.
Keinan Davis specifically identified Dossena in an Instagram Story, stating: “This racist coward called me a monkey today during the game. I hope the Serie A association will do something about this, but we will see.”
This is not the first time Cagliari has been involved in a controversy surrounding racism. The club’s fans have previously directed unacceptable abuse at players like Moise Kean, formerly of Juventus, and Fikayo Tomori of AC Milan.