Demba Ba calls out ‘racism’ before historic PSG and Basaksehir walk-off in Uefa Champions League

Former Chinese Super League striker Demba Ba led players from both sides off the pitch in the Uefa Champions League game between his Istanbul Basaksehir side and Paris Saint-Germain over an alleged racist incident involving a match official. The unprecedented walk-off, which was led by the Turkish Super Lig side and followed by last year’s Uefa Champions League runners-up, followed protests by players from both teams after the sending off of Basaksehir assistant coach Pierre Webo. Fourth official Sebastian Coltescu spoke to referee Ovidiu Hategan in their native Romanian that he should red card Webo. “Go and give it (the red card) to the black one, this is not possible (tolerable), go and identify him, go verify, the black one over there,” Coltescu is reported to have said about Webo. "Listen to me!" Demba Ba furious at the officials in Paris before leading a player walk-off from both teams. The game is currently suspended. #PSGIBFK | #UCL | #VMSport pic.twitter.com/xkd29JsoBM — Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) December 8, 2020 The assistant coach repeatedly asked the official, “Why you say negro?” as he was shown the red card. Ba, who was on the Basaksehir bench, spoke to Coltescu to ask what he had said regarding Webo, which since is alleged to have been “negru”, the Romanian word for black. Former CSL star Demba Ba calls on football to condemn Uygur treatment “You never say ‘this white guy’, you say: ‘These guys’. So, listen to me, why when you mention a black guy do you have to say ‘this black guy’?” Ba asked Coltescu. There was wide praise for Ba on social media. Uefa put out a statement on the decision by both teams to stop playing, which came after a series of discussions. UEFA is aware of an incident during tonight’s Champions League match between Paris Saint-Germain and Istanbul Basaksehir and will be conducting a thorough investigation. Racism, and discrimination in all its forms, has no place within football. #NoToRacism — UEFA (@UEFA) December 8, 2020 “Following an alleged incident involving the fourth official, the match was temporarily suspended,” Uefa said. “After consultation with both teams, it was agreed that the match would restart with a different fourth official. Uefa will thoroughly investigate the matter and further communication will be made in due course.” The game will resume on Wednesday evening, with the teams playing the remaining minutes. ℹ Our players has taken a decision NOT TO go back on the pitch after our Assistant Coach, Pierre Webo has been exposed to racist behaviour by the 4th Official. For the kind consideration. #NoToRacism — Istanbul Basaksehir ENG (@ibfk2014En) December 8, 2020 The Istanbul side tweeted about the incident afterwards, saying: “Our players have taken the decision NOT TO go back on the pitch after our assistant coach Pierre Webo has been exposed to racist behaviour by the fourth official.” PSG also tweeted a statement: “After a red card is given by the referee to a member of opposition staff, discussions continue between players and staff of both teams with the referee. The Basaksehir players decide to go back to the locker room, the Parisians follow them.” Ba alleged he was the victim of racist abuse while playing for Shanghai Shenhua in the Chinese Super League in 2018, with his club and the wider football world supporting him via social media. Chinese FA bans player accused of racially abusing Demba Ba Changchun Yatai midfielder Zhang Li was swiftly banned for six games by the Chinese Football Association, but not for a charge of using racist language. Instead, he was fined 42,000 yuan (US$6,125) and banned after being found guilty of “interfering with the match, causing chaos and giving a bad social image”. More recently, Ba used his platform to urge footballers to come together to speak out on the abuses of China’s Uygur Muslims in Xinjiang. “I have to try to organise something so football players can get together and, in the meantime, talk about this matter because not a lot of people want to,” he told BBC Sport. “I know there are footballers who want to fight for justice, whether Muslim, Buddhist, Christian, any belief,” the practising Muslim said. “As sportspeople, we have a power we don’t even know. If we get together and talk, things change. If we stand up, people stand up with us.”