A Como player has been given a hefty ban from FIFA after being found guilty of racially abusing Wolves star Hwang Hee-chan in a pre-season friendly.Â
Back in July, Wolves faced the Italian side in Marbella, when the match was marred by discriminatory behaviour from Como’s Marco Curto.
Following the event, Wolves had sought the guidance of the FA over submitting a formal complaint against the abuse, with UEFA unable to act given it was an unofficial game outside their jurisdiction. The South Korean federation also contacted FIFA to express their own concerns.
Yet Como published a statement of their own on that appeared to suggest Wolves had attached undue importance to the alleged incident – despite admitting that one of their players had called Hwang ‘Jackie Chan’.Â
However, the Italian has now been found guilty and handed a 10-match ban, with five of those suspended for two years.
Marco Curto has been handed a 10-match ban by FIFA for racially abusing Wolves’ Hwang Hee-chan
The incident took place at a pre-season friendly in Marbella back in July, which ended with Daniel Podence seeing redÂ
Como admitted one of their players called Hwang ‘Jackie Chan’ but claimed Wolves players’ reactions have seen the incident ‘blown out of proportion’
‘The player Marco Curto was found responsible for discriminatory behaviour and sanctioned with a 10-match suspension,’ revealed a FIFA spokesperson.
‘Serving of half of those matches is suspended for a probation period of two years, and the player is ordered to render community services and undergo training and education with an organisation approved by FIFA.’
The Premier League side’s director of football, Matt Wild, added: ‘We welcome Fifa’s decision to sanction Marco Curto following the discriminatory incident during our pre-season friendly against Como 1907.Â
‘The suspension issued to the player sends a clear message that racism and discriminatory behaviour will not be tolerated in football or society.’
The friendly came to an unceremonious end after the event, as Wolves attacker Daniel Podence was sent off in the scuffles that followed and the events were condemned by Wolves boss Gary O’Neil.
O’Neil said: ‘Channy heard a racist remark, which is really disappointing. He’s really disappointed, of course, and understandably so.’
At the time, Como – now managed by Cesc Fabregas – had seemed to suggest that Wolves’ reaction was unreasonable, claiming that it had been ‘blown out of proportion’.
‘Our club does not tolerate racism and condemns all forms of it in the strongest possible way,’ said Mirwan Suwarso, a representative of Como’s owners.
The forward has endured a trying start to the campaign without a goal in the Premier League
Wolves beat Como 1-0 in Marbella – but the game was overshadowed by an incident of racist abuse
South Korea international Hwang, 28, has been a Wolves player since joining in August 2021
‘We spoke to the defender in question to understand what was said.
‘He has told us the comment he made, to his co-defender, was “ignore him, he thinks he’s Jackie Chan”.
‘Having spoken to our player at length, we are confident this was in reference to the player’s name, and to the constant references of “Channy” made by his own team-mates on the pitch.
‘As far as our club is concerned our player did not say anything in a derogatory manner. We are disappointed that the reaction of certain Wolves players has seen the incident blown out of proportion.’
Hwang has had a quiet start to the season for Wolves, with no goals in any of his six Premier League appearances with his side struggling for form early on with just a draw from seven games. Â