Group H of the Champions League featured a pair of matches on Tuesday, a highly-anticipated tilt between Red Bull Leipzig and Manchester United, and a match between Paris Saint-Germain and Istanbul Basakeshir that seemed like a formality for the French side. But due to an incident in the second match, it became the center of the football world, as players from both teams walked off the pitch due to a racist incident between the fourth official and a member of Istanbul’s staff.
According to reports out of France, the official used a racist term while addressing Istanbul assistant Pierre Webo, who is Black, and addressed the official upon getting a red card. It also led to a confrontation between the official and Istanbul striker Demba Ba, who is also Black and questioned the verbiage used by the official.
Pierre Webo, former Cameroonian attacker, was the assistant coach & individual sent off & who is understood to have been the victim of racist language on the part of the 4th official. Demba Ba led his teammates to refuse to continue play.
— Get French Football News (@GFFN) December 8, 2020
Pierre Webo after being sent off to the 4th official: "Why did you say n*gro, why did you say n*gro?"
— Get French Football News (@GFFN) December 8, 2020
On review of the footage, the referee, Ovidiu Haţegan, appears to ask who he should give the red card to from the bench, with 4th official Sebastian Colţescu responding: "ala negru," which in Romanian can translate to "the black [guy]," provoking the incident that followed.
— Get French Football News (@GFFN) December 8, 2020
https://twitter.com/noob_fcb/status/1336406409014091782
https://twitter.com/V1Loxzi/status/1336407110645657609
Istanbul players were unhappy with the incident, which led to them walking off the pitch. In a show of solidarity, players for PSG — whose star player, Neymar, has alleged being on the receiving end of these sorts of racist remarks in the past — did the same.
PSG vs Istanbul Basaksehir has been suspended following an alleged racist incident involving the 4th official towards Istanbul's assistant manager. pic.twitter.com/mLIkZiPK7u
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) December 8, 2020
On review of the footage, Kylian Mbappé is one of the most vocal against the incident & encouraging his PSG colleagues to follow the Istanbul Basaksehir players off of the pitch.
— Get French Football News (@GFFN) December 8, 2020
Presnel Kimpembe picked up on RMC cameras: "WHAT? WHAT? Is he serious? We are heading in. We are heading in. That is it, we are heading in."
— Get French Football News (@GFFN) December 8, 2020
Istanbul tweeted out a statement in staunch opposition to racism in football.
✊🏻✊🏿 NO TO RACISM | #Respect pic.twitter.com/Ic1BzfANoi
— RAMS Başakşehir (@ibfk2014) December 8, 2020
The match, per reports, is slated to resume at 4 p.m. EST, with the fourth official being moved off of the pitch.
LATEST: PSG – Başakşehir will continue shortly, the 4th official has been moved to the VAR room for the remainder of the game.
— Eren Sarigul (@_ErenSarigul) December 8, 2020
