An investigation has been launched by Uefa after players from Fulham and Liverpool were subjected to racist abuse last week by supporters in Croatia and Spain respectively.
Fulham made an official complaint about the abuse directed at Rufus Brevett during their 1-0 victory away to Hajduk Split, while Liverpool, despite not making a formal objection, were similarly dismayed by taunts at several of their black players during their Champions League match in Valencia.
Salif Diao, El-Hadji Diouf, Emile Heskey and Djimi Traoré were subjected to abuse during Liverpool’s 2-0 defeat in Valencia, where Paul Ince, their former captain, received similar treatment in a Uefa Cup tie four years ago. “We deplore racism of any type,” a Uefa official said. “We have not received an official complaint from Liverpool, but we are basing our investigation on evidence which was brought to our attention elsewhere, including reports in the newspapers.”
European football’s governing body also fined Boavista $13,400 (about £8,500) last season after Liverpool complained about abuse directed at Heskey during a Champions League match in Portugal.Elsewhere, Sparta Prague were fined $33,500 (about £21,500) and told that future home matches may be played behind closed doors. The cases of Hajduk Split and Valencia will be considered by Uefa’s Control and Disciplinary Body on October 10.
More recently, Fenerbahçe, the Turkish club, were fined 50,000 Swiss francs (about £21,400) after crowd disturbances at their Champions League match against Feyenoord.
Source The Times by Oliver Kay