The meeting between PSG and Istanbul Basaksehir was stopped after accusations of racism against the fourth referee on Tuesday night in the Champions League.

This unprecedented situation provoked strong reactions around the world.

It was only to be one match of the last day of the Champions League group stage among many.

But on Tuesday evening, PSG-Istanbul Basaksehir went far beyond the framework of football.

We had been playing for less than a quarter of an hour at the Parc des Princes when the meeting changed.

While the tension is high on the pitch, the referee expels Istanbul assistant coach Pierre Achille Webo.

It was then that the Cameroonian got angry with the fourth referee and accused him of having called him a "negro".

After long discussions, the players from the two locker rooms returned to the locker room and the match was interrupted.

Two hours later, around 11:15 p.m., the match was finally stopped and postponed until Wednesday at 7 p.m.

Story of that sad evening.

A tense start to the match

The match between Basaksehir, already eliminated, and PSG, almost qualified for the round of 16, only started a few minutes ago.

The score is still 0-0 and there hasn't been any clear chance yet.

On the ground, the atmosphere is tense.

Neymar suffers fouls every time he has the ball.

In the first quarter of an hour of play, two Basaksehir players, Mahmut Tekdemir (10th) then Rafael (12th), are sanctioned with a yellow card.

"Shame on you!"

("It's shameful!"), Launched a defender of Basaksehir after a decision of the referee, Ovidiu Hategan.

The 40-year-old Romanian is a veteran of the Champions League, where he has refereed since 2011, with more than thirty matches to his name.

Pierre Achille Webo accuses the referee of having called him a "negro"

But after another clash, this time involving Parisian defender Presnel Kimpembe, the tone rises on the Basaksehir sidelines.

Pierre Achille Webo, Cameroonian assistant to Turkish coach Okan Buruk, disputes a decision of the referee.

A discussion ensued, in Romanian, between Ovidiu Hategan and the fourth referee, Sebastian Coltescu, also Romanian.

The referee gives Webo a red card.

But the Cameroonian protested in English, claiming to have heard "negro", a term very steeped in racism in French and English, in the mouth of Sebastian Coltescu.

The tension builds and as the clock continues to tick, the players of both teams and the referee gather at the edge of the pitch.

"Why did he say 'nigga'? Why?


- Come on, let's go out!"



The images of suspected racist remarks towards Pierre Webo and the immediate reaction of the players.

# PSGIBKF # RMCChampions # UCLpic.twitter.com / FUgRwKQjNP

- RMC Sport (@RMCsport) December 8, 2020

The indignation of Demba Ba, the referee claims to have said the black word in Romanian

According to televised images, the Senegalese Basaksehir Demba Ba, substitute, protests to the fourth referee.

"You never say 'this white', you say 'that one', so when you talk about a black man, why do you say 'this black'?" He gets angry.

Sebastian Coltescu retorts by evoking the Romanian language, in which "negru" ("black") does not have a racist connotation.

According to excerpts of the conversation between the two referees broadcast on television and translated by an AFP journalist, the fourth referee said in Romanian: "The black over there. It is not possible. Go check who it is. is. That one, the black one.

Both teams return to the locker room

After five minutes of floating, the players of the Turkish club decide to leave the lawn, followed by those of PSG, under some applause from the staff in the Parc des Princes behind closed doors.

"The fourth referee said 'negro' in front of everyone! If the fourth referee is removed from the pitch, then we will resume. If the fourth referee stays on the pitch, then Basaksehir will not come back," said club president Göksel Gümüsdag on Turkish TV channel TRT Spor.

Istanbul players return to the locker room.

Followed by the Parisians.

The best decision if the facts are true.

#PSGIBFK@Europe1#Europe1pic.twitter.com/T1yiMuv05c

- Julien Froment (@JulienFroment) December 8, 2020

Erdogan and many players are outraged on social networks

Quickly, the affair takes off on social networks, the Basaksehir tweeting the UEFA slogan "No to racism / Respect", accompanied by emojis representing raised fists, white and black.

Players from all over Europe engage by sharing these fists: the Brazilian Everton Richarlison, then the Turks of the French Championship Umut Bozok (Lorient) and Yusuf Yazici (Lille).

Then the affair takes a political turn.

After several ministers, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, known to be very close to the leaders of Basaksehir, "strongly condemns the racist remarks made against Pierre Webo, a member of the technical staff of Basaksehir".

On Twitter, he said he was "convinced that UEFA will take the necessary measures".

PSG players Presnel Kimpembe and Kylian Mbappé also denounce racism, the first by sharing on Instagram "No to racism", the second by affirming "Mr. Webo we are with you", accompanied by a raised fist.

SAY NO TO RACISM.

❌❌❌ Mr.



WEBO WE ARE WITH YOU.

✊

- Kylian Mbappé (@KMbappe) December 8, 2020

Almost two hours of interruption before the decision to stop the match

For nearly two hours, UEFA does not communicate on the situation.

A recovery time is first set at 10 p.m., according to information from RMC Sport.

But Basaksehir players refuse to resume the game.

Finally, around 11:15 p.m. the decision fell: the match was abandoned and will resume Wednesday at 7 p.m. with a new team of referees.

UEFA ensures in the wake that a "thorough" investigation will be carried out.

Meanwhile, the other group game sees RB Leipzig beat Manchester United 3-2 and advance to the round of 16.

A result which, at the same time, also sends the Parisians to the next round.

But Tuesday evening, the athlete was relegated to the background.