Pierre Webo, Basaksehir's assistant coach, during the match against PSG the day after the racist insults he suffered from a referee, December 8, 2020. -
CHINA NOUVELLE / SIPA
He is the one by whom it all happened.
Pierre Webo, Basaksehir's assistant coach, is the man who suffered racism from Romanian referee Sebastian Coltescu during the now famous PSG-Basaksehir on Tuesday evening.
An episode which resulted in the stoppage of the match, the players and staffs of both teams refusing to resume play under these conditions.
A few days after the shock, the Cameroonian returned this Saturday to the
Daily Mail
on this "moment of history", as the former player Louis Saha described it.
"There will be a before and after this December 8," he said.
It happened at a very high level [of competition].
This means that if the same thing happens at a lower level, the players will be able to say stop because this December 8, in the Champions League, players have done it.
"
"What, are you not going to play anymore?"
"
With a little hindsight, Pierre Webo tries to put into words what he felt at the time.
“It was very hard to hear from a referee.
A shock.
He's someone who is supposed to keep control in all situations, ”he observes.
Then, after having said what he thought of Sebastian Coltescu, he took refuge in the corridors of the Parc du Princes.
He therefore did not follow all the discussions that followed.
“I didn't know what was going on on the pitch.
Rafael [a player from Basaksehir] arrived and said to me "we stop playing and we are not going to resume".
I said "What, you are not going to play anymore?"
Thirty seconds later, the whole team landed.
They asked me how I was, I didn't know what to answer.
I was very nervous but didn't want to show it.
"
What really happened in the spans of the Park on Tuesday evening?
via @ 20minutesSport https://t.co/qWICtypXAM
- 20 Minutes Sport (@ 20minutesSport) December 10, 2020
Parisians also came to see him.
"Neymar, Marquinhos and Leonardo wanted to talk to me, they said: 'We are sorry for what happened, don't worry, you have all our support and we are not going to resume the match".
"
Webo is proud of everyone's reaction.
“I said to myself 'yes, that's it, the players are finally united'.
They are serious, they are all together.
I felt proud.
Not just because it was for me, but in general.
I want to say thank you to all the PSG players, to the club, to all those who were there and who showed their solidarity.
Thank you, and well done.
"
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