I LOST CONTROL WHEN I HEARD THAT WORD
Pierre Webo reveals the pain of being victim in race storm that rocked football
AFEW days and sleepless nights on, since Pierre Webo was the victim in the race storm that shocked the football world, he is feeling ‘much better’.
‘You can hear in my voice I am much more calm now,’ the Istanbul Basaksehir coach said.
However, his emotive description of what he sees when he re-watches his reaction against Paris Saint-Germain gives a truer indication of the impact of being racially abused.
‘When I watch my face, watching video, what I did, how I was aggressive … woah,’ said Webo.
‘Even me I don’t want to be against me because I was very aggressive. I was out of control for that five, 10 seconds.
‘It is my first time I’ve seen my face like that. I don’t remember the situation to be like that.’
Webo’ s reaction was understandable after he heard
‘When I watch my face, what I did, how I was... woah’
Romanian fourth official Sebastian Coltescu use the word ‘negru’ to point him out to referee Ovidiu Hategan before he was sent off.
And he insists it would have been easy to identify him among Istanbul’s staff without making reference to his skin colour.
‘Where I was it was very easy [to say], “Eh, the third guy, out,” he said, re- enacting how the conversation could have gone between the officials.
‘“Who?” “That guy, him, get him out.” “Show me, come.” “You, you.” It is easy. But it was also easy for him to say what he said. Why that word?’
On footage of the flashpoint during Tuesday’s game, Webo can clearly be heard asking that question. He never got an answer, either in the moment or later when the teams had retreated to the dressing-room area.
‘It was very difficult to hear that from one referee, from one guy who is supposed to be in control of all these kind of situations,’ said Webo.
‘We must take care of what we say in the field. As we are talking now I must take care of what I say. Imagine if I am the referee.’
In the immediate aftermath, Webo described how the incident left him feeling vulnerable and helpless, but support quickly arrived.
Former Manchester United defender Rafael, now at Istanbul, followed Webo into the dressing to tell him they would not be returning to play.
Istanbul’s president Goksel Gumusdag offered his support via a FaceTime call, as did Webo’s son, Marcos, 19. ‘He said, “Ah papa, I am very sorry.” It was very hard. I saw him and he was down. I said don’t be like that, be more strong. Now he is much better,’ said Webo, who was also contacted by Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Backing from PSG came from their biggest names and right from the top. ‘ Neymar and Marquinhos and Leonardo, they call me and they were in the corridor and said, “We apologise for what happened but you have our support”,’ Webo said.
‘They said, “Don’t worry we are with you, we are not going to play. We are not accepting these kind of words in football.”
‘I want to say thank you to all the Paris Saint-Germain players, the club, for their solidarity with us. It was very important as it was a Champions League game.
‘With all the things that they have around, to do this, for this kind of reaction, to the two clubs, thank you, Bravo.
‘ In that time I say, “Yes, something is happening now”. I feel like, “Yes, finally players are united”. They are serious. I was proud of that. Not only because of me, but generally.
‘I received this kind of thing in Spain when I was playing and I didn’t stop [playing]. That one thing I was thinking of in Spain 13 years ago, is now happening.
‘That moment gave importance to players because football without players is not football.’