Raheem Sterling calls for 'real punishment' on racist abuse
What's the story
England romped to another outstanding victory in their Euro 2020 Qualifiers Group A match. After battering Czech Republic 5-0, Gareth Southgate's side thrashed Montenegro 5-1 in Podgorica. The win was overshadowed by racist abuse directed by fans towards the visiting team. The chanting was directed at a couple of England players including Danny Rose. Forward Raheem Sterling called for 'real punishment'. Here's more.
Twitter Post
Raheem keen to silence haters
Best way to silence the haters (and yeah I mean racists) 🙉😘 #2019 #getsomeeducation pic.twitter.com/ohhkOJtdey
— Raheem Sterling (@sterling7) March 25, 2019
Chants
Danny Rose subjected to racist chants in England's win
According to a report in the BBC, racist chants were heard six minutes into the match. It started when left-back Rose was in possession of the ball. Rose was subjected to more chants during injury time. He was booked following a strong challenge on Aleksandar Boljevic, and the 28-year-old faced severe hostility from the home fans. It wasn't the first time Rose underwent this.
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Gareth Southgate promises to report incident
"I definitely heard abuse of Danny Rose when he got booked at the end of the game. There's no doubt in my mind that happened and we'll report it to UEFA. It's not acceptable," said England manager Gareth Southgate.
Sterling
There should be a real punishment for this: Sterling
Manchester City forward Sterling, who scored the fifth goal for England on the night, called on football's authorities to take strict action. "A couple of idiots ruined a great night and it is a real sad thing to hear. It's a real sad situation we are talking about after a great win. There should be a real punishment for this," said Sterling to BBC.
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Sterling highlights what needs to be done
"This place holds 15,000. The punishment should be, whatever nation it is, if your fans are chanting racist abuse then it should be the whole stadium so no-one can come and watch. When the ban is lifted, the fans will think twice," added Sterling.
Action
UEFA must take strong action and lead the way
It is indeed sad that something like this happened on the night. The environment was hostile and unfriendly which overshadowed the class performance. Sterling's response after his goal got the fans more furious and the chants became louder. The UEFA should come hard on racism and do more than just imposing heavy fines. Many former England players have called for UEFA to act smartly.
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We are equal, says England teenager Callum Hudson-Odoi
"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. Hopefully Rose is OK too," said teenager Callum Hudson-Odoi.