"This is a social issue, a social evil and we need to address it for that reason alone but it's also an issue about the development of Serie A and the future of the league.

"For all these reasons we have to acknowledge it and take the steps. There is a willingness to do that, this is not a backward country, this is not a backward league."

Serie A launched an anti-racism campaign in December 2019 but had to apologise for it after people criticised the images which depicted three side-by-side apes, which Milan condemned.

The club have been leaders in condemning racism in the league. In September 2019, the club launched an anti-racism task force aimed at developing best practices to combat discrimination and promote inclusion.

Gazidis also said that other leagues had suffered from similar problems but were helped by increased expenditure on infrastructure.

"It's not simple to eradicate this. Football reflects attitudes in society, so it takes time... but there are strong, firm steps you can and must take. Identifying those responsible and keeping them away from the game is one immediate thing, absolutely," he said. "Related to that is the development of stadiums and infrastructure.

"Football in the 1980s in England was a hotbed of racism, for example, and while there are still issues in the English game, the new stadiums created a much more diverse, inclusive environment with women, children, people of all backgrounds feeling safe at the game. When they felt safe, the make up of the crowd changed and attitudes changed. Italian football suffers from antiquated stadiums and even the technology within the stadiums to identify wrongdoers [is antiquated]."