Newcastle-Sunderland match halted after report of racism towards Lutsharel Geertruida

Sunderland has issued a statement expressing full support for Lutsharel Geertruida, praising him for his courage and leadership in reporting a racially abusive incident during a match. The club emphasized that racism is entirely unacceptable, describing it as abhorrent and stating unequivocally that it has no place in football or society. Sunderland also acknowledged Newcastle United’s statement on the matter, insisting that those responsible must be identified and face consequences.

Regis le Bris, the Sunderland manager, commented on Geertruida’s condition, saying: “He looks OK. It is unacceptable and important to report and manage the situation properly. He looks OK, but we need to support him.” Similarly, Newcastle’s head coach Eddie Howe condemned the abuse, stating, “We don’t condone racism in any form and the club will investigate.”

At the time of the incident, Newcastle United was leading their city rivals Sunderland 1-0, but Sunderland ultimately secured a 2-1 victory, with Brian Brobbey scoring a late winner. This confrontation between the two Tyne-Wear clubs marked a highly intense Premier League encounter.

This incident follows a similar episode earlier in the season. During the opening Premier League game between Liverpool and Bournemouth in August, the match was halted after Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo reported racial abuse directed at him from the Anfield crowd

Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More