Montenegro to be charged by UEFA for racist behaviour in 5-1 loss to England

European football governing body UEFA are set to charge Montenegro after racist abuse was heard from the stands in Monday night’s Euro 2020 qualifier in Podgorica against England.

On what was a positive day for England after they won 5-1, it turned dark as the game was overshadowed by home fans directing various racist chants aimed at among others Tottenham full-back, Danny Rose.

Rose was subjected to monkey chants following his foul on Adam Marusic which resulted in the defender getting a booking late in stoppage time. England Manager Gareth Southgate told Sky Sports:

“When Danny Rose was booked at the end of the game I definitely heard racist chanting behind me.

“It’s completely unacceptable. The most important thing is that our players feel supported by us and we’ll make sure it’s reported and we are there for them and anything they want us to support them with, that we are able to do.”

Montenegro coach Ljubisa Tumbakovic said he did not “hear or notice any” racist abuse, and the press officer from the hosts tried to prevent any questions from British journalist on the matter.

UEFA announced that “disciplinary proceedings” had been opened against Montenegro with one charge for “racist behaviour”. The case will be dealt with by European football’s governing body on 16 May.

If Montenegro are found guilty, then the country will be forced to have at least a partial stadium closure at the Podgorica City Stadium. That could mean that their home tie against the Czech Republic on Tuesday 10th September will be affected.

A second offence will result in the European side having to play one match being played behind closed doors, as well as facing a fine of 50,000 euros (£42,500).

The same article (14) states that additional disciplinary measures can be imposed depending on the situation, while “disciplinary measures may be combined with specific directives aimed at tackling such conduct”.

What was supposed to be a cherished occasion for Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi as he started his first match for the Three Lions turned into a nightmare for the youngster as he was subject to the abuse. He told BeIN Sports:

“I don’t think discrimination should be anywhere – we are equal.

“When you are hearing stuff like that from the fans, it is not right and it is unacceptable. Hopefully UEFA deal with it properly. When me and Rosey went over there, they were saying, ‘ooh aa aa’ monkey stuff and we just have to keep our heads and keep a strong mentality.

“Hopefully Rosey is OK too. We will discuss it and have a chat. He has a strong mentality and is a strong guy so hopefully everything will be good.

“It is not right at all – I was enjoying the game too. We just have to take the win and go back home.”

This is the second time this season that Hudson-Odoi has faced racially charged abuse from fans around Europe with the winger being put through abusive monkey chants from some Kiev fans when Chelsea went to Ukraine at the start of the month.

The same goes for Danny Rose who was also racially abused in Serbia when playing in an under-21 game back in 2012. The Serbian FA were fined £65,000, and their under-21s had to play a game behind closed doors.

The English FA’s itself released a statement:

“On Monday evening, England players were subjected to abhorrent racist chanting while playing in a UEFA EURO 2020 qualifier in Montenegro.

“This is unacceptable at any level of the game and we welcome UEFA’s decision today to take disciplinary action. Our immediate focus is on supporting UEFA with their investigation and the players and staff involved.

“The issues we saw last night are not isolated to any specific country, and despite progress English football still has its own incidents of discrimination.

“Our experience is that by combining both sanctions and education, whilst working alongside campaigners such as Kick It Out, real progress can be made. But there remains much work to be done.

“Football is a game For All and we must all take responsibility to work together and share our experiences and learnings to tackle discrimination in the game.”

If you have been affected by the issues raised in this article contact Kick It Out and report the issue.