Published on : 08/12/2020 – 22:34
The Champions League meeting between Paris SG and Turks of Basaksehir Istanbul was interrupted in the 16th minute on Tuesday, December 8 and the players returned to the locker room, after an alleged racist incident involving the fourth referee of the match. A first in the Champions League. The meeting is postponed to Wednesday, December 9 at 5:55 p.m. UT.
Funny meeting this evening at the Parc des Princes between PSG and Basaksehir Istanbul. On the sixth and final day of the group stage, at the 23e minutes, the Turkish players returned to the locker room after several minutes of discussion at the edge of the field. The match ended at the 16e minute, after an alleged racist incident involving the fourth referee of the match.
« He said “negro” »
Pierre Achille Webo, Istanbul assistant coach, denounces racist remarks by the fourth referee against him. The meeting degenerated in the 14th minute, when members of the Turkish staff, exasperated, shouted their anger, audible in a closed stadium: “He said” negro “”, they launched in the direction of the fourth referee Sebastian Coltescu . The latter had just reported to the main referee Ovidiu Hategan, Romanian like his colleague, the reaction too vehement to his liking of Pierre Achille Webo, former striker, Cameroonian member of the Basaksehir management, after an arbitration decision.
The confusion further escalated when the game director kicked Pierre Achille Webo off the sidelines. The players began to congregate on the edge of the field, called in particular by the substitute striker of Basaksehir Demba Ba, the Senegalese international native of the Paris region, very recovered. A dialogue began between the players, the referee and the UEFA delegate, without reaching a conclusion. Neymar and Kylian Mbappé were notably at the center of the discussions. While UEFA had announced a restart at 10 p.m., the Turkish club were still not inclined to return to the pitch. At around 10:30 p.m., the players of Basaksehir Istanbul indicated that they did not wish to resume the meeting. “ I think it’s a gesture of solidarity that should have taken place a long time ago “, Declared the former Cameroonian goalkeeper Joseph-Antoine Bell on RFI.
A political turn
The Turkish Minister of Sport very quickly condemned the remarks supposed to have been made by the fourth referee and gave his support to Basaksehir Istanbul. UEFA should open an investigation very quickly. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also reacted by denouncing ” firmly »Racism and calling on UEFA to act. ” I am convinced that UEFA will take the necessary measures Mr. Erdogan wrote on Twitter.
This episode sparked further reactions in Turkey, where Istanbul’s rival Basaksehir clubs, as well as several ministers in Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government, expressed their solidarity on Twitter. “ We support the honorable attitude of Basaksehir in the face of racism, which is a crime against humanity “, Tweeted the head of Turkish diplomacy Mevlüt Cavusoglu. ” No to racism ! “, he added. Defending champion of Turkey, Basaksehir is known for his close ties to President Erdogan.
Meanwhile, Leipzig, semi-finalist of the last edition of the Champions League, qualified for the round of 16 by beating Manchester United 3-2, and qualified Paris SG at the same time, thanks to a thunderous start to the match. .
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