Watch: Basaksehir, PSG walk off in protest after coach accuses ref of racism
Istanbul Basaksehir and Paris Saint-Germain players walked off the pitch during Tuesday's Champions League match at the Parc des Princes after a member of the Turkish side's coaching staff accused the fourth official of using a racial slur.
Pierre Webo, a former Cameroonian international and current assistant at Basaksehir, who is a Black man, claimed official Constantin Sebastian Coltescu called him a "negro."
Match referee Ovidiu Hategan issued Webo a red card in the 16th minute.
"Why do you say negro?" Webo could be heard saying repeatedly on the television broadcast.
PSG v Basaksehir assistant referee allegedly said the "n-word" to a staff of Basaksehir pic.twitter.com/TIDp5vlyk1
— noobfcb (@noob_fcb) December 8, 2020
UEFA agreed to reschedule the match for Wednesday at 6:55 p.m. Paris time (12:55 p.m. ET) following an hours-long delay and confusion over a potential restart. A different officiating crew will take over, and UEFA will investigate the incident.
"UEFA has - after discussion with both clubs - decided on an exceptional basis to have the remaining minutes of the match played tomorrow with a new team of match officials ... (and) a thorough investigation on the incident that took place will be opened immediately," read a statement obtained by Tariq Panja of The New York Times.
UEFA initially said the game would resume and Coltescu would be removed as the fourth official, but staff for both teams had already begun to pack up their equipment.
Both teams were incensed when play stopped midway through the first half. An intense discussion between players and officials went on for several minutes before Basaksehir decided to head down the tunnel. PSG agreed to walk off as well in a show of solidarity.
PSG vs Istanbul Basaksehir has been suspended following an alleged racist incident involving the 4th official towards Istanbul's assistant manager. pic.twitter.com/mLIkZiPK7u
— Champions League on CBS Sports (@UCLonCBSSports) December 8, 2020
Basaksehir striker Demba Ba, who's been a vocal authority in UEFA's ongoing fight against racism, confronted the fourth about the incident.
"When you're mentioning the white guy, you never say this white guy. You say this guy," Ba was captured saying on the broadcast. "So why when you mention a Black guy, you have to say this Black guy?"
The result of the rescheduled match means little in the context of Group H. Basaksehir were already out of contention to make the knockout stage, and PSG advanced as a result of Manchester United's loss to RB Leipzig.