Auxerre midfielder says linesman made racist remark

Tuesday 20 Dec 2011
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The French league has opened an investigation into alleged racist remarks made by an assistant referee to the Auxerre midfielder Kamel Chafni at Stade Brest on Saturday (17 December).

A league statement said: “[The LFP president] Frédéric Thiriez has ordered an investigation so that the matter can be clarified as soon as possible.”

Chafni earlier said that he planned to file a complaint with police and asked the league to take action against the referee’s assistant, who he claimed had racially insulted him during his side’s 1-0 defeat.

The Morocco player, who was sent off in the second half, claimed that the linesman Johann Perruaux insulted him. Chafni told the sports newspaper L’Equipe on Sunday that when he told Perruaux he had failed to spot the defender Grégory Lorenzi’s foul on the forward Roy Contout, the linesman responded with a racial slur.

“There was a foul that wasn’t signalled, I went towards the linesman and told him that it wasn’t normal,” Chafni said. “He answered, ‘Get lost, Arab.'”

Chafni went to protest to the referee, Tony Chapron, who showed him two consecutive yellow cards and a red.

“I went to see the referee, I explained to him what happened,” Chafni said. “He showed me a yellow card. I told him, repeated that it was unacceptable, and he shows me a red.”

The 29-year-old added: “[I] want to go all the way with this. It’s serious, it goes beyond sport. I hope the league opens an inquiry and will clamp down. If they don’t believe me, my place is no longer in French football. I’m outraged.”

Chapron denied that his assistant had made a racial slur. “I deny all allegations,” he told reporters after the game. “I know the man … and I can tell you that he would never make racist remarks.”

Chafni said that Contout, the Brest forward Larsen Touré and the Brest physiotherapist had heard the remark that he alleges was made by Perruaux.

L’Equipe quoted Gérard Bourgoin, the Auxerre president, as saying: “This matter must be cleared up. Some Brest players heard the same thing. So I don’t think it’s the player’s imagination.”

From the Guardian

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