Italian soccer team leaves stadium after racist taunts are leveled against African player (VIDEO)

An Italian soccer team walked off the pitch and ended an away game in Lombardy when the opposing team began "chanting like monkeys" at their sole African player, the New York Times reported.

Kevin-Prince Boateng, a Ghanian-German player for the visiting AC Milan team, kicked a ball into the stands and walked out of the stadium after spectators rooting for the Pro Patria team began to make derisive noises at him.

The other players quickly followed his lead, as shown in the video embedded below.

“These racist episodes have to end. Walking off was the correct decision to make after the racist chants," said AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri in, comments posted on the club's website.

"We are sorry these events have happened, more so for the other supporters — the families and children who had come here to spend a pleasant afternoon," he added.

Read more from GlobalPost: Skin-heads, rage, and Euro 2012 soccer

European soccer has gained an unfortunate reputation for racism in recent years, most recently highlighted at Euro 2012 competitions in Poland and the Ukraine, where events prompted the BBC documentary "Stadiums of Hate."

In the documentary, white spectators directed monkey-like chants at African players.

In May, Trabzonspor player and native Ivorian Didier Zokora dealt out an extremely painful-looking crotch kick to Turkish challenger Emre — who had allegedly made racist comments to Zokora in the past.