By Andrew Warshaw
September 21 – UEFA is coming under pressure to investigate the latest claims of racism in European football, this time by visiting Lazio fans at Tottenham Hotspur’s North London White Hart Lane stadium during last night’s Europa League game, which ended goalless.
Despite supporting their team magnificently throughout much of the encounter, monkey chants were clearly heard from sections of the 1,500-strong away support towards several of Tottenham’s black players.
After the game, Spurs manager Andre Villas-Boas (pictured top, right) said he did not hear the chants but added that European football’s governing body will respond if the claims are correct.
“UEFA is very active on this kind of situation,” Villas-Boas said.
“And our overall objective is to kick racism out of football.
“I can’t point the finger at anyone in any way shape or form because I didn’t hear anything.
“It’s for the authorities to follow up in any kind of investigation.”
Significantly, UEFA President Michel Platini, who has frequently warned of a zero tolerance attitude towards racism and whose organisation has increasingly meted out a series of sanctions to the culprits, was at the game.
UEFA said it was waiting for the match report before making any decision on potential disciplinary proceedings.
Neither Spurs nor Lazio have made any official comment, although the anti-racism group FARE posted a link on its Twitter feed giving Spurs fans the chance to report any chants they might have heard.
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