Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure called on UEFA to
take action against CSKA Moscow after he was subjected to racist chanting
during his team’s 2-1 win in the Champions League.
The Ivory Coast player said he had told match referee
Ovidiu Hategan about the chants during the game in the Russian capital.
“It is quite disappointing,” Toure said. “It is
unbelievable and really, really sad to hear songs like that.”
The midfielder called for tougher action by UEFA to
tackle racism, which has been a longstanding problem in the game despite
regular campaigns by European football’s ruling body.
“I think UEFA need to do something strong. It would be
nice if we could stop that... Every time we say something it continues,
something has to be done to stop it,” Toure said.
“I think UEFA has to be stronger, and hold all the clubs
and all the fans that do that (responsible). Maybe they have a stadium ban. For
me as an African player it is always sad to hear something like that and we
need to do something about it.”
Russia’s state news agency RIA Novosti quoted Toure as
suggesting a stadium ban for CSKA in European competition “for a couple of
years or maybe a couple of months” — long enough that “the club will decide:
‘OK, we have to educate the fans.”
He also raised the prospect of teams boycotting the 2018
World Cup in Russia if the issue of racism wasn’t dealt with.
RIA Novosti quoted Toure as saying: “If we aren’t
confident at the World Cup, coming to Russia, we don’t come,” and that he had
also experienced racism when playing in the Ukrainian league. The Ivorian
played for Metalurg Donetsk from 2003-05.
City manager Manuel Pellegrini echoed the call for action
over the chants, saying “it was a pity and I hope we have the right measures.”
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Culled from washingtonpost
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