Basaksehir and PSG walk off after alleged racism by a match official
RESENDING TO ADD FOOTAGE OF THE ISTANBUL BASAKSEHIR TEAM BUS LEAVING THE STADIUM AND COMPLETE SCRIPT
VIDEO SHOWS: ISTANBUL BASAKSEHIR TEAM BUS LEAVING THE STADIUM / EXTERIOR OF THE PARC DES PRINCES STADIUM AFTER THE PARIS ST GERMAIN V ISTANBUL BASAKSEHIR MATCH WAS HALTED / SCREENGRABS OF TWEETS FROM EACH OF THE CLUBS, PSG'S KYLIAN MBAPPE AND TURKISH PRESIDENT RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN
EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: CONTAINS A WHITE FLASH
SHOWS:
PARIS, FRANCE (DECEMBER 8, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)
1. ISTANBUL BASAKSEHIR TEAM BUS PARKED ON THE STREET OUTSIDE THE PARC DES PRINCES STADIUM
2. WHITE FLASH
3. ISTANBUL BASAKSEHIR TEAM BUS PULLING AWAY
4. EXTERIOR OF THE PARC DES PRINCES STADIUM AFTER THE PARIS ST GERMAIN V ISTANBUL BASAKSEHIR MATCH WAS HALTED
5. PSG LOGO ON STADIUM
6. MORE FROM OUTSIDE THE STADIUM
INTERNET (DECEMBER 8, 2020) (SOCIAL MEDIA WEBSITE - ACCESS ALL) (MUTE)
7. SCREENGRAB FROM ISTANBUL BASAKSEHIR'S ENGLISH TWITTER ACCOUNT READING (English): "Our players has taken a decision NOT TO go back on the pitch after our Assistant Coach, Pierre Webo has been exposed to racist behaviour by the 4th Official. For the kind consideration. #NoToRacism"
8. SCREENGRAB FROM ISTANBUL BASAKSEHIR'S ENGLISH TWITTER ACCOUNT READING (English): "NO TO RACISM #Respect" ALONG WITH UEFA'S 'NO TO RACISM' BANNER
9. SCREENGRAB FROM PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN'S ENGLISH TWITTER ACCOUNT RETWEETING ISTANBUL BASAKSEHIR'S ENGLISH TWEET: "NO TO RACISM #Respect"
10. SCREENGRAB FROM PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN'S ENGLISH TWITTER ACCOUNT WITH TWO TWEETS READING (English): "23' The @ibfk2014 players decided to go back to the locker room, the Parisians follow them. (0-0) #PSGIBFK"
AND (English): "20' After a red card is given by the referee to a member of opposition staff, discussions continue between players and staff od both teams with the referee. #PSGIBFK"
11. SCREENGRAB OF TWEET FROM PSG PLAYER KYLIAN MBAPPE'S TWITTER ACCOUNT READING (English): "SAY NO TO RACISM. XXX. M.WEBO WE ARE WITH YOU."
12. SCREENGRAB FROM TURKISH PRESIDENT RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN'S TWITTER ACCOUNT READING (Turkish): "Our representative strongly condemns the racist remarks made against Pierre Webo from the technical team of Başakşehir and I believe that the necessary steps will be taken by UEFA. We are unconditionally against racism and discrimination in sports and all areas of life. #Notoracism"
STORY: Istanbul Basaksehir's players, closely followed by their opponents Paris St Germain, walked off the pitch during a Champions League soccer game on Tuesday (December 8) after the Turkish club accused a match official of racism.
Basaksehir's Cameroonian assistant coach Pierre Webo was shown a red card for protesting against a refereeing decision and the Turkish side then left the field after about 10 minutes of discussions with Romanian referee Ovidiu Hategan.
PSG then also left the field at the Parc des Princes.
"Our players have taken a decision NOT TO go back on the pitch after our Assistant Coach Pierre Webo has been exposed to racist behaviour by the 4th Official," Istanbul Basaksehir said on Twitter.
The game, which was suspended in the 13th minute, did not resume and European soccer's governing body UEFA said the rest of the match had been rescheduled for Wednesday (December 9) at 1755GMT.
TV footage showed fourth official Sebastian Coltescu saying in Romanian: 'The black one over there. Go and check who he is. The black one over there, it's not possible to act like that' after Webo vehemently protested against a refereeing decision.
"Why he say negro?", Basaksehir substitute Demba Ba repeatedly asked match referee Hategan as confusion reigned on the touchline in the Group H match.
TV footage also showed PSG's French defender Presnel Kimpembe saying 'Is he serious? We are heading in. We're heading in. That's it, we're heading in."
After confirming that the match would resume on Wednesday, UEFA added that it will be conducting a "thorough investigation".
"Racism, and discrimination in all its forms, has no place within football," the governing body said in a statement.
Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan said on Twitter he believed UEFA would take the necessary steps.
"We are unconditionally against racism and discrimination in sports and in all areas of life," he wrote.
Basaksehir posted UEFA's 'No to Racism' banner on Twitter, a post that was retweeted by PSG on their own official account.
PSG qualified for the last 16 of Europe's leading club competition, despite their match being suspended and then rescheduled, after Manchester United lost 3-2 at Leipzig.
(Production: Julien Pretot, Kurt Michael Hall)
