FA submits formal racism complaint
The FA is one of the world's leading voices against racism
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Monday, 18, Jun 2007 05:07
The Football Association has sent a formal letter of complaint to the governing body of European football, Uefa, over the racist abuse directed at England's players during the under-21s match against Serbia.
Chants were clearly heard from the Serbian supporters, directed specifically at Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha, which prompted an announcement to be made over the stadium's public-address system requesting it to cease.
There are also reports that Onuoha and some team-mates, including Arsenal's Justin Hoyte, were subjected to racist abuse in the tunnel by at least one Serbian player.
A statement from the FA says that the abuse, both from the stands and from the opposition players, has also been highlighted in the reports submitted by the referee in Nijmegen, Knut Kircher, and the Uefa match delegate.
"We take racism and other forms of discriminatory behaviour extremely seriously and have asked Uefa to investigate these incidents as a matter of urgency," an FA spokesman said.
"We will of course co-operate fully with any investigation."
Uefa have since confirmed that they have launched a full investigation into the incidents during and after the match but played down calls by some sections of the media and the public for Serbia to be thrown out of the tournament.
A spokesman for Uefa said that the matter would be discussed at a meeting of the organisation's control and disciplinary body on July 12th - well after the European Under-21 Championship has ended.
England progressed to the semi-finals of the competition following their 2-0 win over Serbia yesterday and now face hosts the Netherlands in the semi-final on Wednesday evening.