Rio Ferdinand says football is at a ‘disturbing tipping point’ following an alleged racist incident during Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League clash against Istanbul Basaksehir.
The Istanbul players walked down the tunnel midway through the first half, amid claims the fourth official had used a racist word.
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The match was suspended for some considerable time before the Turkish side tweeted that their players would not be returning so long as Sebastian Coltescu was involved.
Pierre Webo, Basaksehir’s assistant manager, was sent off and it is claimed he was subjected to racist abuse by Coltescu.
The former Newcastle and Chelsea striker Demba Ba led the Turkish side’s protests before they took the decision to leave the pitch at the Parc-des-Princes.
Ba vociferously questioned the official over his choice of language when referring to players before being ushered away.
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Istanbul’s players then walked down the tunnel and were followed by their PSG counterparts.
UEFA confirmed soon after that the fixture would be completed on Wednesday following consultation with both clubs.
Shockwaves have unsurprisingly been sent across the sport, however, Ferdinand suggested he’s no longer surprised by incidents like these.
The former Manchester United defender also praised both sets of players for taking a stand and walking off the pitch but the footballing authorities need to do more to eradicate racism in the game.
Ferdinand told BT Sport: “We’re at a disturbing tipping point.
“We’ve got Millwall [against Derby] and PSG all in the same week.
“Not a week goes by without an incident involving race and I think we’re at a point where something needs to be done.
“We’re saying it all the time but the powers that be need to make a huge stand.
“[The players making a stand] is a step in the right direction… but it can’t just be left to the players to do this.”
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