For the moment, the last public image we have of Mike is his dejected departure, walking slowly, head lowered and covered by the hood of his club tracksuit, with no intention of speaking or explaining himself, from the Vitality Stadium at the end of a match that started badly and ended even worse.
In fact, Mike Maignan was and remains the main culprit for the debacle at Bournemouth, although (to be honest) the 27 minutes preceding his sending-off had already made sufficiently clear the kind of difficult night that awaited Milan.
An explanation for Mike's action can certainly also be found here: his goal was becoming a shooting gallery and, in the very passage of play before the corner kick in question, the Frenchman had become quite angry with his teammates for allowing a shot (subsequently deflected) from long distance, as relayed via La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Interpretations - Maignan's side:
The following day, his head remained lowered, this time over his smartphone, when Mike decided to share his thoughts on social media. A premise: it is a message in which the apologies that the fans were probably expecting do not appear. Instead, these are reflections from which regret clearly emerges (especially towards children and young people) and, essentially, his version of events.
"My action was not intentional. Like all goalkeepers and in every match, I wanted to create space for myself inside my penalty area. Unfortunately, this conveyed a negative image, especially to the young spectators who watch us. The club, the staff and my teammates know what kind of person and what kind of captain I am. They know my intentions and know that abandoning my teammates was never in my thoughts. As for the rest, we are used to the interpretations given by certain people and certain media outlets."
Maignan, therefore, essentially absolves himself of blame. And he "hits back" by explaining that any blame should instead be sought elsewhere. So be it.
Beyond Decency
The Rossoneri supporters, however, reacted very badly to what happened and lashed out at Mike online, considering him guilty, also, of not appearing in front of journalists and cameras after the match (something he never does anyway). A behaviour considered doubly reprehensible given his status as captain.
The problem is that, as often happens on social media, the criticism in some cases once again went well beyond the limits of decency and unfortunately degenerated in the worst possible way.
Thus, yesterday afternoon, the club intervened directly to defend the goalkeeper:
"Mike Maignan has been the target of serious and unacceptable racist insults on social media. AC Milan firmly condemns every form of racism and discrimination, unacceptable behaviours that have no place either on or off the pitch. The Club expresses its full solidarity with and support for Mike."
Situations that the Frenchman has unfortunately already experienced in the past and that do nothing to improve his mood.
Since yesterday, however, no particular reports have emerged from Milanello. Internally, the terrible evening at Bournemouth was virtually put behind them immediately after the match, when Maignan waited for his teammates at the dressing-room door, giving everyone a high-five and urging them to remain calm.
