Monaco easily won in Prague against Sparta (0-2) in the third preliminary round of the Champions League on Tuesday, in a meeting marred by racist cries against Monegasque players.
Indeed, Aurélien Tchouameni complained of monkey cries against him when he was celebrating his goal, the first of the meeting.
🎦⚽️
The opening of the score of AIR @atchouameni on this angry head 💥 # SpartaASM |
#RoadToChampions pic.twitter.com/HhLRtuRQ1U
- AS Monaco 🇲🇨 (@AS_Monaco) August 3, 2021
After having reported it directly to his coach, Niko Kovac, he clarified it to the match's referee, England's Michael Oliver.
The latter first received the complaint from the player and his captain Wissam Ben Yedder.
Then he applied the protocol put in place by UEFA.
He asked the stadium announcer to remind the public that in the event of a new incident the match would be stopped.
"Very proud of my players"
The European football authorities will look into this file a posteriori, once the two clubs have provided other elements.
“We won the match, but we also won against racism.
This is the most important message of the evening, ”said Niko Kovac after the meeting.
“We are all devastated to see that in the 21st century this kind of event is still happening on a football field or in society.
We are all equal, and we are here to play football.
I must say that I am very proud of my players, because we had the right reaction.
My players were touched and sad about this situation, but I told them: "We are here to play football. You are upset and I know that it is very difficult to understand that, that it is not admissible, but we must continue ””.
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