Sunderland defender Lutcharel Guiatruida was the subject of allegations of racist abuse during the Tyne Wear derby at St James’s Park on Sunday, which the visitors won 2-1.
The Tyne Wear derby was canceled in the second half due to allegations of racist abuse towards Lutcharel Guiatruida (Image: Mark Cosgrove/NurPhoto)
Sunderland have issued a statement condemning allegations of racist abuse against Lutcharel Giltruida after Sunday’s Tyne Wear derby was stopped early in the second half.
The Black Cats beat Newcastle 2-1 at St James’ Park thanks to Brian Brobbey’s dramatic late goal. However, Sunderland’s victory on enemy soil was overshadowed by an incident in which Gertruida was subjected to discriminatory abuse from the crowd.
The match was paused for around three minutes and the Premier League confirmed the reports of abuse in a statement on its MatchCentre social media accounts.
And Sunderland issued their own strong message against the “abhorrent” abuse of the defender, saying there was “no excuse” when it comes to incidents like this.
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A statement released by the club after Sunday’s match said: “Sunderland AFC is aware of reports of racist abuse towards Lutcharel Guiatruida during today’s match at St James’s Park.
“We stand with Le Tocharel, who has our full support, and commend him for showing courage and leadership by reporting this incident to match officials.
“Racism is completely unacceptable. It is abhorrent and has no place in our game or society.
“We acknowledge Newcastle United’s statement and hope those responsible will be identified and held to account.
The match was stopped early in the second half following reports of discriminatory abuse (Image: Stu Forster)
“There should be no tolerance, no excuses, and no ambiguity when it comes to these types of cases.
“Football must be a safe and inclusive environment for everyone, without exception, and we will continue to work with relevant authorities to support that aim.”
Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris said of Geertruida and the post-match incident: “He looks okay. It’s unacceptable and important to properly report and manage the situation. He looks okay, but we need to support him.”
Newcastle announced after the match that they would assist authorities with their investigation. “We are aware of reports that a visiting player was racially abusive towards someone in the crowd during the Premier League match against Sunderland. Our position is clear and we do not condone any form of discrimination. We will work with the authorities to thoroughly investigate and identify individuals and hold them accountable.”
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