Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League match between Paris Saint-Germain and Istanbul Basaksehir was suspended in the opening 25 minutes after an apparent racist incident involving the fourth official and Istanbul assistant coach Pierre Webo.
Play was stopped in the 14th minute when Romanian referee Ovidiu Hategan approached the benches to show a red card to Webo for his part in an argument. According to reporters covering the match, Hategan asked the fourth official Sebastian Colţescu who he was supposed to send off.
That official, responding in Romanian, identified Webo as the “Black guy.” The conversation was picked up on the match broadcast with the Istanbul bench taking immediate offense to the racist language.
It appears the 4th official got racist! Match is now suspended. pic.twitter.com/QCjL6c7kJQ
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) 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
The confrontation continued with Istanbul’s Demba Ba standing up for his coach to the officials.
Demba ba is pressuring the ref rassslcartttt pic.twitter.com/2GpIdkGMsX
— AZ (@V1Loxzi) December 8, 2020
By the 23rd minute, the Istanbul players had heard enough and walked off the pitch.
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
— Champions League on CBS Sports (@UCLonCBSSports) December 8, 2020
The match was suspended, and the club’s Twitter account responded with a “Say No To Racism” graphic.
✊🏻✊🏿 NO TO RACISM | #Respect pic.twitter.com/Ic1BzfANoi
— İstanbul Başakşehir (@ibfk2014) December 8, 2020
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