Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
GET BEHIND KAMARA
Ranieri plea after spot-kick fiasco
CLAUDIO RANIERI told Fulham fans to get behind Aboubakar Kamara after his penalty bust-up with Aleksandar Mitrovic.
Ranieri was fuming when Kamara refused to give designated taker Mitrovic the spot-kick against Huddersfield – then missed.
But yesterday the Cottagers boss said: “Now everything is finished. He came to me and after I called all the squad and all the people around us they apologised.
“For me it’s finished. The team is the first thing in my head.”
The French forward (above, with Mitrovic) was racially abused on social media over the inci- dent, which came late in
Saturday’s crunch home game against the fellow relegation candidates with the game goalless.
Mitrovic rescued Fulham with an injury-time winner, but immediately after the game Ranieri was still furious, accusing Kamara of showing a lack of respect to the club and adding that he “wanted to kill him”.
There were even suggestions Kamara could be sold. A calmer Ranieri added yesterday: “If I need him I will continue to play him, but of course he has to improve what I ask. It’s finished. He’s a good guy and I hope our fans are behind him and all the team.”
Fulham warned they would take the “strongest possible action” against any fan found to have racially targeted Kamara online.
Fulham go to Arsenal today with Ranieri wary of a backlash after the Gunners’ 5-1 rout at Liverpool.
He said: “I expect a very tough challenge. They lost their last match and will look to react. But we’re ready and confident.”