Kevin-Prince Boateng has insisted he will walk off the pitch again if he is racially abused and criticised FIFA for not doing more to tackle the issue.
The AC Milan midfielder walked off during a club friendly on Thursday, followed by the rest of his team, and has warned he will do it again with the backing of club president Silvio Berlusconi.
Speaking to CNN, Boateng said: “I don’t care what game it is a friendly, Serie A or Champions League match, I’d walk off the pitch again and I think everyone would support me.
“I saw massive support from England and massive players like Rio Ferdinand and Patrick Vieira, and I want to say thank you.
“I’m sad and angry that I’m the one that has to take action.”
Boateng walked off the pitch on Thursday during a friendly against Italian side Pro Patria after several players were racially abused, reportedly complaining to the referee three times about the abuse.
“I said to him if it happens again I’m not going to play anymore. The referee said ‘don’t worry’ but I said I do worry, it’s not very nice.
“I was angry and I was sad, but it all came together and I said I didn’t want to play anymore. There were so many negative emotions that came up in me.”
Berlusconi has claimed his players will always walk off the pitch in future to protest against racist abuse, something that could put Milan and Boateng at loggerheads with FIFA and UEFA, who have previously warned against players taking such action.
A FIFA spokesman said: “It would be for the referee to report and the disciplinary committee would have to look into it.”
Boateng said the world governing body should do more however.
He added: “So many people in FIFA can do something and they should wake up and do it. They should not tolerate it. They should ban people forever from the stadiums. That’s the first thing you can do.”
AC Milan President Berlusconi backed Boateng, he said: “I can assure you that in any match, even European ones, where we experience episodes of this kind, Milan will leave the field.
“These uncivil episodes, these whistles and disgraceful chants occur ever more frequently and they offend football and all of sport.”