PSG CONTROVERSY PLAYS TWO WAYS

In The aftermath of the racism controversy that engulfed Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League match against Istanbul Basaksehir, Pierre Webo, the coach at the centre of it, talked respect. Webo was identified with the word ‘negru’ — meaning ‘the black one’ — when fourth official Sebastian Coltrescu told match referee Ovidiu hategan which member of Istanbul’s staff needed to be sent to the stands. Clearly, that word is open to misinterpretation. At first Webo seemed to think Coltrescu had used a racial epithet. he hadn’t, but the confrontation escalated fast. And while John Barnes undoubtedly has a point that the sole white member of an otherwise black group could equally be picked out as ‘the white one’ without intending offence, there are less problematic methods of identification. As Stan Collymore rightly observed, Coltrescu could have called Webo by name, as UEFA officials are briefed on senior members of the coaching staff for both teams. The two men could also have walked together to the Istanbul bench, where Coltrescu could have pointed directly at Webo, leaving no room for doubt. yet might there be a reason Coltrescu was keeping his distance? It comes back to respect. In the subsequent fallout it has been largely disregarded that Webo was about to be sent off. There is invariably one reason why coaches are dismissed and it involves the abuse of referees and their assistants. So while Webo is right to see the irony in officials who display UEFA’s ‘Respect’ branding on their shirts while failing to observe it in the heat of the moment, was he upholding the principle at his end? Coaches get sent off for abuse and what Coltrescu did wasn’t abuse. It was wrong and clumsy and regrettable and a lesson learned for all officials, we hope. yet one imagines what was coming the other way also fell some distance short of UEFA’s precious code of respect. It has been this way for too long and, condoned by inaction, where we find ourselves is really no surprise.