Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Everton midfielder, Steven Pienaar, left, battles for the ball with Carlisle United’s English-born Montserratian midfielder Brandon Comley in Sunday’s FA Cup tie at Carlisle, where Pienaar was the subject of racial taunts from the crowd. Everton manager Roberto Martinez downplayed the incident afterwards. Picture: AFP/PAUL ELLIS
SOUTH African footballer Steven Pienaar was involved in an ugly incident in England when he and Everton teammate Arouna Kone were subjected to racial abuse during an FA Cup tie.
The pair were celebrating their side’s opening goal away at lower league Carlisle United when they were abused by home fans.
The players were clearly seen reacting to the abuse and immediately informed the referee. The match official spoke to both managers and it was agreed that an announcement would be made over the public address system, calling for the abuse to stop.
It comes just weeks after similar scenes involving Thulani Serero’s Ajax Amsterdam in a league game in Holland against ADO Den Haag. The Dutch FA has said it would investigate the matter after what was termed "jungle sounds" were repeatedly directed at Ajax’s Riechedly Bazoer.
Everton manager Roberto Martinez tried to downplay the incident after the comfortable 3-0 win for his side.
"What happened is when we scored the goal, Arouna Kone and Steven Pienaar were celebrating," he said. "A very small minority in the back of the stand behind the goal made some racial remarks. As you know, there is no room for that type of behaviour, but I must stress it was a very small minority.
"I want to believe it was just an emotional reaction to the disappointment of conceding a goal.
"I thought the way the referee handled it and the whole ground handled it, they stopped at that moment," he said. "It wasn’t an exercise of using the game to racially abuse any of the players. It was handled in the right manner, even though you should never see incidents like that."
Martinez said the club would assist police in their efforts to identify those involved.
"We will help the police and we will help Carlisle and we will help everyone to make sure that it doesn’t happen again, not just in football, but in life. I thought the way we handled it, the referee and the announcement was a real sign of respect and it stopped the wrongdoing."
Referees are able to take teams from the field if one of the sides wishes to do so following racist abuse, although such instances are extremely rare despite the on-going problem of racial abuse in European football.
The most notable recent example was in 2013, when AC Milan and Ghana midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng led his club off the field in a friendly against Pro Patria after he and several other members of the side were racially abused.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Racial abuse hurled at Pienaar and mate
SOUTH African footballer Steven Pienaar was involved in an ugly incident in England when he and Everton teammate Arouna Kone were subjected to racial abuse during an FA Cup tie.
The pair were celebrating their side’s opening goal away at lower league Carlisle United when they were abused by home fans.
The players were clearly seen reacting to the abuse and immediately informed the referee. The match official spoke to both managers and it was agreed that an announcement would be made over the public address system, calling for the abuse to stop.
It comes just weeks after similar scenes involving Thulani Serero’s Ajax Amsterdam in a league game in Holland against ADO Den Haag. The Dutch FA has said it would investigate the matter after what was termed "jungle sounds" were repeatedly directed at Ajax’s Riechedly Bazoer.
Everton manager Roberto Martinez tried to downplay the incident after the comfortable 3-0 win for his side.
"What happened is when we scored the goal, Arouna Kone and Steven Pienaar were celebrating," he said. "A very small minority in the back of the stand behind the goal made some racial remarks. As you know, there is no room for that type of behaviour, but I must stress it was a very small minority.
"I want to believe it was just an emotional reaction to the disappointment of conceding a goal.
"I thought the way the referee handled it and the whole ground handled it, they stopped at that moment," he said. "It wasn’t an exercise of using the game to racially abuse any of the players. It was handled in the right manner, even though you should never see incidents like that."
Martinez said the club would assist police in their efforts to identify those involved.
"We will help the police and we will help Carlisle and we will help everyone to make sure that it doesn’t happen again, not just in football, but in life. I thought the way we handled it, the referee and the announcement was a real sign of respect and it stopped the wrongdoing."
Referees are able to take teams from the field if one of the sides wishes to do so following racist abuse, although such instances are extremely rare despite the on-going problem of racial abuse in European football.
The most notable recent example was in 2013, when AC Milan and Ghana midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng led his club off the field in a friendly against Pro Patria after he and several other members of the side were racially abused.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Most Read
Published by Arena Holdings and distributed with the Financial Mail on the last Thursday of every month except December and January.