News in 2006

01st April 2006

FA protest at referee abuse

The Football Association (FA) has confirmed they have complained to European soccer governing body UEFA about the treatment of referee Mike Riley when he interrupted a UEFA Cup quarter-final to try to quell racist abuse.

Riley was called "a British homosexual" by Levski Sofia club president Todor Batkov after he stopped their home tie against Schalke when the German side's striker Gerald Asamoah was targeted by racist chants from the crowd.

The Leeds referee informed the fourth official who arranged for a message to be broadcast over the loudspeaker system calling for an end to the racist abuse. He also informed Asamoah he would report the chanting to UEFA.

Schalke won Thursday's first leg 3-1 in the Bulgarian capital and after the match Batkov launched a scathing attack on Riley, saying: "This British homosexual broke the game."

The FA's head of refereeing Neale Barry said: "Mike is to be thoroughly applauded for his actions in informing UEFA and club officials that he had encountered totally unacceptable racist abuse being aimed at Gerald Asamoah.

"At the beginning of each season, officials are directed to do exactly as Mike did should they encounter similar situations in this country.

"By notifying club officials, the club are then asked to put an announcement out over the public address system, and should such chanting not cease, he would then report this to the FA.

"Mike is one of this country's top officials, hence his appointment by UEFA for such a prestigious quarter-final tie, and the subsequent comments by the Levski Sofia president have also been reported today (Saturday) by myself to UEFA, as they are deeply offensive."

Source: AFP