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Pierre Webo on alleged racism in UCL: There has to be consequences

Istanbul Basaksehir assistant coach Pierre Webo has said "there has to be consequences" for an alleged racist incident which saw Paris Saint-Germain and Basaksehir players walk off the pitch during their Champions League clash. 

UEFA have opened a disciplinary proceeding into Tuesday's encounter between the two which saw players leave the field after the fourth official was accused of racism towards Webo.

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"We have had that [racist abuse] before on other pitches, many times," Webo said. "But to come from a referee, it is a first. There has to be consequences."

The incident occurred after Webo was shown a red card for protesting against a refereeing decision.

Basaksehir alleged that the fourth official Sebastian Coltescu referred to Webo's skin colour to point him out to referee Ovidiu Hategan before he was sent off.

"I wasn't the only one there, there were four [Basaksehir coaching staff] of us there and then he [Coltescu] said 'that black guy'," Webo, a former Cameroon international, said.

"The tone was aggressive. I didn't hear clearly what he said but my head coach [Okan Buruk] did and told him: 'Why are you referring to him as the black guy?' He could have said the third guy or the penultimate one.

"I got angry and I asked him why did you say 'that black guy?' He didn't say anything, he just looked at me."

Webo added that at no time had he or Basaksehir's coaching staff insult the fourth official. He was not aware the game was going to be suspended.

"I went to the locker room after being sent off," Webo said. "I didn't know what was going on on the pitch. But my colleagues and the PSG players were the ones to say that this cannot come from a referee. PSG's Leonardo, [Kylian] Mbappe, Neymar then came to the locker room. None of the officials came to me after the game to give me an explanation, not then, not now.

"They [UEFA] did offer to replace the fourth official in order for the game to resume but we were all against that, including PSG."

The game, which was suspended after 13 minutes, was replayed on Wednesday with new officials and PSG won 5-1.

Webo said he hopes something will be learned from what has happened.

"We need to take all the words and things that generate racism and violence away from sport," the ex-Mallorca and Osasuna striker said.

"I hope this doesn't happen again. We have to set an example. We have to avoid using these types of words and more so in a competition like the Champions League. I am doing a masters to become a UEFA executive and those are words that we can't use on a football pitch."

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