AC Milan friendly suspended after racist chants

BUSTO ARSIZIO, Italy (AP) -A friendly match between AC Milan and lower division club Pro Patria was abandoned Thursday after racist chants directed at Milan's black players, the latest incident of racial abuse that continues to blight the sport.

After repeated chants directed his way, Ghana midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng picked up the ball and kicked it at a section of the crowd in the 26th minute of the first half.

Boateng then took off his shirt and walked off the pitch with his Milan teammates. Urby Emanuelson, Sulley Muntari and M'Baye Niang were also targeted by the chants.

"Walking off was the right choice when faced with something like this,'' Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri said. "We need to stop these uncivil gestures. Italy needs to improve and become better educated and more intelligent.''

"Let's learn from this experience,'' Allegri added.

The match, which was scoreless at the time, was not resumed. The game was played in Busto Arsizio, a town located north of Milan. Pro Patria plays in Italy's fourth-tier division.

Milan said on its website that the insults came from a small group of Pro Patria fans, adding that the rest of the supporters disassociated themselves from the chants.

Milan, returning from its holiday break, is preparing to play Siena on Sunday.

Despite the incident, Milan captain Massimo Ambrosini promised the squad would return to Busto Arsizio.