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Italian defender, Marco Curto has been handed a 10-match ban by the governing body of football, FIFA after he racially abused to Wolves forward, Hwang Hee-chan. Curto, who is on a loan from Como to Serie B club, Cesena, was found guilty of his actions after he racially abused Hwang Hee-chan in a friendly in Marbella in July.
The incident dates back to July 2024 and Hwang reported the incident during the second half of the match, leaving his teammates furious on the comments and a red card to Daniel Podence.
Marco Curto gets 10-match ban over racist remarks on Wolves forward
As per a statement communicated to Sky Sports by FIFA’s governing body spokesperson, the defender will serve half of his ban with immediate effect, while he will serve remainder of it over a period of two years. “The player (Marco Curto) was found responsible for discriminatory behaviour and sanctioned with a 10-match suspension. 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 spokesperson was quoted.
Earlier in the year, Como had revealed that Curto had referred to Hwang as “Jackie Chan” after hearing the Wolves players calling the forward by his nickname “Channy”. Soon after the incident, the club in a statement said, “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.”
“We welcome FIFA’s decision to sanction Marco Curto following the discriminatory incident during our pre-season friendly against Como 1907. The suspension issued to the players sends clear message that racism and discriminatory behaviour will not be tolerated in football or society. Wolves will always stand firmly against racism and discrimination in any form, and we remain fully committed to creating an environment where everyone feels respected and included,” the Premier League club’s Director of Football, Matt Wild said.
