Sensational at the Parco dei Principi. In the first half of the match valid for group H of Champions, at 0-0, Psg and Istanbul Basaksehir, the team of which President Erdogan is a huge fan, left the field in the 23rd minute. For racism, not of the (absent) fans, but of one of the referees.
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The fourth official, the Romanian Sebastian Coltescu, ahe said a racist sentence against the Turkish club’s assistant manager after the refereeing protests, the game was suspended with the players returning to the locker room. The episode took place on the 16th minute, in the confusion the technical delegate, Pierre Webo, former Cameroon striker, was sent off. Coach Okan Buruk (former Inter) arrives to take his defense and shout at the fourth official: “You are a racist”.
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Istanbul was the first to want to re-enter the tunnel. According to the first reconstructions Coltescu would have used the word “Negru”, then trying to justify himself by explaining that in his language it is not considered offensive. The attacker is seen in a video broadcast by Turkish TV Demba Ba, formerly Chelsea, repeat several times to the fourth man: ‘Why do you say nigger? Why do you say nigga? Why don’t you call others that? Why don’t you call them white? ‘
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The referee, Ovidiu Hategan (also Romanian), initially did not understand the reaction and brought out the red also for Demba Ba. Uefa officials also intervened to try to calm the spirits, to no avail.
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The Turkish club then posted a message on Twitter “no to racism, respect”, the slogan used by UEFA. Neymar and Mbappe they defended their opponents, supporting the decision to leave the field. Accepting to return only if the fourth man is removed, the attempt to move Coltescu to the Var has not passed either.
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President Erdogan intervened from Ankara with very harsh words: “I strongly condemn the racist statements made against Pierre Webo, a member of Basaksehir’s technical staff, and I am convinced that UEFA will take the necessary measures”.
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8 December 2020 (change December 8, 2020 | 22:58)
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