Serie A opens investigation into alleged Kean racist abuse as Juve star fined €2k for diving

A Serie A sporting judge has demanded further investigation of the alleged racism faced by Moise Kean and Blaise Matuidi during Juventus's 2-0 win over Cagliari on Tuesday, while the teenage striker has been hit with a €2,000 fine for diving.

Kean was the victim of alleged racist abuse during the contest, as Cagliari fans were accused of directing monkey chants at the forward.

The 19-year-old scored Juventus’s goal in the victory and celebrated the strike by standing in silence and staring at the crowd - sparking reactions from supporters, Cagliari players and even his own team-mates.

Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci claimed the blame for the situation was 50-50, sparking widespread condemnation from the football world. The Italy international has since attempted to rectify his original comment, admitting he was too "hasty" in speaking out.

Following Kean’s goal, Matuidi appeared to protest to the referee, and told team-mates after the contest that he will walk off the pitch in future if he hears racist abuse.

After reading the official match report of the referee, and the federal prosecutor’s office, Serie A sporting judge Gerardo Mastrandea has deemed further investigation is necessary to determine when the players were subjected to the alleged racist abuse and how large of a group perpetrated it.

"Additional investigations and new elements are required by the competent bodies," Mastrandea said in a statement. "It is necessary to clarify in which phase of the game the players were the target of chants of racial discrimination and what size and real perception they had."

It is not the first time Cagliari fans have been accused of racism. Matuidi claimed he was subjected to racist abuse at the same stadium last season.

In 2017, Pescara's Sulley Muntari walked off the field against Cagliari in protest of racist abuse. Though it was determined fans had shouted racist insults at the Ghanaian, no punishment was levied at the club because it was deemed to be a minority of supporters.

Serie A has handed out other punishments for actions during the latest matchday, with Kean among those who have been sanctioned.

The teenager went down in the Cagliari area in the 20th minute of the contest and was handed a yellow card for simulation.

Now he has been hit with an additional €2,000 fine, with Napoli’s Arkadiusz Milik also sanctioned an identical amount for diving against Empoli.