CAGLIARI, Italy (AP) — Udinese forward Keinan Davis has accused Cagliari defender Alberto Dossena of calling him a “monkey” during Saturday’s Serie A match. Dossena denied any wrongdoing.
Towards the end of Udinese’s 2-0 victory at Cagliari, Davis — who is Black — reacted angrily and alerted the referee to something said from the stands.
Tension then rose after the final whistle when Davis and Dossena had to be separated by teammates.
Davis posted a story on Instagram after the match, tagging Dossena and using a picture of the player with the comment: “This racist coward called me a monkey today during the game. I hope the Serie A association will do something about this but we will see.”
Dossena posted a statement on his own Instagram account about an hour later.
“Being accused of racism saddens and hurts me,” Dossena wrote. “It is a very serious accusation, it would never cross my mind to address another person, a colleague with an insult of that kind.
“It is the first time that such a situation has happened to me in which I have to defend myself from a defamatory accusation. Such behavior is the furthest thing from my culture and education.”
Udinese also put out a statement but did not name Dossena.
“Udinese Calcio expresses utmost solidarity and full support for Keinan Davis who was subjected to shameful racist insults by a player from the opposing team during this afternoon’s match,” the statement said.
“The club reiterates its firm condemnation of such deplorable acts which seriously damage the image and values of the sport we love. Udinese will defend Keinan in every way and hopes for a rapid resolution of the incident by the sports justice bodies in which it has full confidence.”
Cagliari teammates and coach Fabio Pisacane backed Dossena, saying they believed he had never made any racist remarks.
“I’ve known Alberto Dossena for years, I know what values he has, and it doesn’t even cross my mind that he might have said certain things,” Pisacane said. “I believe in the man and I’m sorry that all that commotion was created at the end of the match.
“I spoke to Alberto about the incident with Davis and I believe him, because I know him well. There was some pushing and shoving, things that happen on the field, and I completely trust my player.”
Cagliari goalkeeper Elia Caprile added: “We spoke to Alberto, he assured us that he hadn’t said anything racist and we believe him. He is a family man, a man with important values.”
However, Udinese’s Nicolò Zaniolo alleged that Dossena also insulted his family as well as being racist towards Davis.
“The colleague (if you can call him that) who today dared to insult my children and insult my teammate for the color of his skin, should be ashamed of himself and never again set foot on a football field,” Zaniolo wrote in an Instagram story.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Cagliari's Alberto Dossena controls the ball during a Serie A soccer match between Cagliari and Udinese in Cagliari, Italy, Saturday, May 9, 2026. (Gianluca Zuddas/LaPresse via AP)
FILE - Udinese's Keinan Davis controls the ball during the Serie A soccer match between Udinese and Napoli, in Udine, north east Italy, Dec. 14, 2025. (Andrea Bressanutti/LaPresse via AP, File)
BALTIMORE (AP) — Federal prosecutors announced charges Tuesday in the 2024 collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, accusing the Singapore-based operator of a ship and a key employee of making critical decisions that led to the disaster and the deaths of six people.
The indictment names Synergy Marine Pte Ltd., based in Singapore, and Synergy Maritime Pte Ltd., based in Chennai, India. Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair, 47, an Indian national who was technical superintendent for the Dali container ship, was also charged.
The Dali crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, 2024, killing six construction workers who had been filling potholes.
“The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge was a preventable tragedy of enormous consequence,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.
The companies and Nair are charged with conspiracy, willfully failing to immediately inform the U.S. Coast Guard of a known hazardous condition, obstruction of an agency proceeding and false statements.
An FBI investigation into the crash focused on the vessel’s operations and whether the crew knew of critical systems issues before leaving port.
The National Transportation Safety Board found last year that two electrical blackouts — one caused by a loose wire aboard the Dali and another by problems with a fuel pump — disabled the controls of the huge cargo ship before it crashed into the bridge.
The Dali was leaving Baltimore bound for Sri Lanka when its steering failed because of the power loss. The ship crashed into a supporting column of the bridge at about 1:30 a.m.
Maryland officials estimate it could cost between $4.3 billion and $5.2 billion to replace the bridge, which is expected to be open to traffic in late 2030.
But the true cost of the collapse was far greater, according to the Maryland Attorney General’s Office. It halted shipping at the Port of Baltimore, disrupted the livelihoods of thousands, rerouted road traffic through communities already bearing disproportionate burdens and triggered economic problems statewide.
The indictment comes on the heels of a settlement in principle between the State of Maryland, Synergy Marine and Grace Ocean Private Limited, the Singapore-based ship owner, Attorney General Anthony Brown announced in April.
That lawsuit alleged the crash was the result of negligence, mismanagement and the reckless operation of a vessel that was not seaworthy and should never have left port. Plaintiffs include the families of the six construction workers who died, owners of cargo that was on the ship and local governments seeking damages for economic losses. The details of the settlement haven’t been disclosed and some portions of the lawsuit remain unresolved.
The state sought damages on behalf of its agencies for the destruction of the bridge, harm to the Patapsco River and surrounding environment, lost revenues and economic losses to Maryland and its residents.
The settlement does not resolve any claims the state has against the shipbuilder, Hyundai, the attorney general’s office said in April.
The bridge, a longstanding Baltimore landmark, was a vital piece of transportation infrastructure that allowed drivers to easily bypass downtown. The original 1.6-mile (2.6-kilometer) steel span took five years to build and opened to traffic in 1977.
White reported from Detroit.
FILE - The cargo ship Dali is stuck under part of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after the ship hit the bridge, March 26, 2024, as seen from Pasadena, Md. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)
