Racism scandal in the Champions League: game between Paris and Istanbul...

Paris / Bucharest –

The assistant referee Sebastian Coltescu, who is suspected of racism, has apparently not apologized. An alleged statement by Coltescu has apparently turned out to be a forgery. There were “doubts about the authenticity of the Twitter account,” writes the German press agency (dpa). The dpa withdrew the corresponding message. The possibly fake tweet said the Romanian apologized “on behalf of the UEFA Champions League”.

In the game between Paris Saint-Germain and Istanbul Basaksehir on Tuesday, both teams left the pitch after an alleged racist slur by fourth official Coltescu against Basaksehir’s Cameroonian assistant coach Pierre Webo.

After lengthy discussions in the catacombs, the game was finally canceled and rescheduled for Wednesday evening at 6:55 p.m. with new referees.

Previously, Demba Ba, the former Bundesliga professional in the service of the Turkish club, was furious on the sidelines. Demba Ba argued angrily with assistant referee Coltescu.

The European Football Union announced on Tuesday evening that the entire referee team would be replaced. The accused, Sebastian Colţescu from Romania, served as fourth official in the game that ran for less than 15 minutes. The umbrella organization announced a “thorough investigation”.

Fourth official is said to have racially insulted

The guest’s assistant coach, the former Cameroonian international Pierre Webo, saw the red card, and it is said that the racist insult was caused. The fourth official was accused of using a racist formulation for black people, which in German is now referred to as “N-word”. This expression could be heard clearly in the empty Prinzenpark Stadium during the TV broadcast.

The Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned “the racist statement against Pierre Webo” and announced via Twitter: “We are unconditionally against racism and discrimination in sport and in all areas of life.”

France’s Sports Minister Roxana Maracineanu praised the behavior of the professionals on both teams. “Tonight athletes have made a historic decision about an attitude that they have judged to be unacceptable,” wrote the minister on Twitter late Tuesday evening.

You are waiting for the results of the investigation. “But I can only welcome the strong symbolism of your gesture and your solidarity.”

The game will be rescheduled on Wednesday evening

As was also heard, the referee team from Romania is said to have tried to defend themselves by saying that the fourth official used the Romanian word for black (negru) and not the “N-word”. Ba asked Colţescu angrily why he used the “N-word”. The former Hoffenheim professional sat on the bench in Basaksehir.

Webo, Ba, and others could then be heard loudly pointing out that the referees hadn’t said “the white” to identify a white player either. Basaksehir tweeted the logo of the UEFA campaign “No to Racism – Respect” immediately after the incident. Thousands of people expressed their solidarity on social networks, and clubs from the Bundesliga took a stand against racism.

RB Leipzig sends ManUnited to the Europa League

RB Leipzig coach Julian Nagelsmann initially only noticed the incidents in the parallel game on the sidelines. During the game against Manchester United (3-2), he initially only heard that it was “about insults,” he said. “I condemn that in the strongest possible terms. We live in a colorful society, that’s a good thing, something like that shouldn’t happen, not on the football field or anywhere else. ”With the win, RB secured a place in the round of 16. Paris is also in the knockout round due to the defeat of Man United. But athletic results became a minor matter.

There were heated debates on the sidelines in Paris, with PSG stars Kylian Mbappé and Neymar standing close to the action for a long time. TV pictures showed how Mbappé also spoke. The Brazilian Neymar last accused his opponent of racism in the league game against Olympique Marseille in mid-September.

After the guest team from Turkey went into the dressing room, the team of German coach Thomas Tuchel followed a few seconds later. Mbappé wrote on social media: “Say no to Racism. M. Webo we are with you “(We are with you). (dpa)

In an earlier version of this article, we reported that the Romanian assistant referee had apologized via Twitter. There are now considerable doubts about that. As soon as there are further developments in this case, we will update this report.