Friday, September 21, 2012
Racism in European football??? I'm shocked!!
Via ESPN-Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas is sure that UEFA will come down hard on any Lazio fans who are found to have racially abused Spurs players in Thursday's Europa League clash at White Hart Lane.
Loud monkey-chanting was heard to come from the away end on several occasions directed against black players Jermain Defoe, Aaron Lennon and Andros Townsend in Thursday's Group J clash, which ended 0-0 after three Spurs goals were controversially ruled out.
Villas-Boas said he did not hear the chants himself, but he would encourage UEFA, whose head Michel Platini was at the game, to take any action if it is proven that the travelling fans did, in fact, hurl racist abuse.
"I think (UEFA will act if the accusations are proven)," Villas-Boas said in his postmatch news conference.
"UEFA is very active on this kind of situation and our overall objective is to kick racism out of football. I can't point the finger at anyone in any way shape or form tonight because I didn't hear anything. It's for the authorities to follow up in any kind of investigation."
Lazio coach Vladimir Petkovic also said he didn't hear any chants.
The anti-racism group FARE posted a link on its Twitter feed giving Spurs fans the chance to report any chants they heard from the away end. UEFA has fined clubs in the past for racist incidents.
Tottenham also operates a strict zero tolerance policy when it comes to racism.
Information from Press Association was used in this report.
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