euro 2012

Euro 2012: PFA chairman says abused players should leave the field

• Czech Republic's black player abused by Russia fans
• PFA chairman says players should leave pitch in protest

Theodor Gebre Selassie, left, was aware he was being racially abused by Russia fans in the Czech Republic's opening match. Photograph: Clive Mason/Getty Images

England players would be well within their rights to walk off the pitch if they are racially abused at Euro 2012, the Professional Footballers' Association chairman said on Sunday.

Clarke Carlisle said he would want to walk off the pitch if he received a torrent of racial abuse and he hoped his team‑mates would support him.

Uefa, the governing body, has said players who walk off the pitch during the tournament in Ukraine and Poland in protest at racial abuse will be handed a yellow card.

Carlisle said on BBC1's Andrew Marr Show that on a visit to Poland last month he witnessed racial abuse and hooliganism in a league derby, having been told by the local police chief there had been no reported incidents in the past 16 months.

"The reality and what we are being told and is reported is vastly different," he said. "As a player, if you see that the officials aren't handling the situation, then you are well within your rights to walk off the pitch in my opinion.

"Nobody should be abused in their work place, especially not racially. We don't want any form of discrimination at all in football. This is going to be a real test of Uefa to see if they have empowered their officials to take control of these situations.

"If you see that the referee is taking control of it. If he has stopped the game and it is one or two individuals and they are being sorted out, or if it is a group and he is taking the players off the pitch to sort it out, then you'd be happy because you know it is being dealt with."

Asked, however, what he would do as a player if racial abuse was not being dealt with by a referee, he added: "If it happened to me I would want to walk off the pitch because I don't think anybody should be abused in their workplace and I would hope that my teammates would support me."

Earlier, the shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander said players have the right to walk off the pitch. Writing in the Mail on Sunday, he said: "Referees have the power to stop the game should any racist incidents occur – they should use it and be backed by the governing body when they do. However, if a referee ignored blatant racist abuse, and the England players or the management felt justified in walking off, they should be supported."

Already a victim of racist abuse at the European Championship, theCzech Republic's lone black player said he has experienced worse and is ready to put the latest incident behind him. Theodor Gebre Selassie was fully aware he was being racially abused by Russia fans at his team's opening game on Friday. "I noticed that," he said. "It was nothing extreme. I've experienced much worse."

The 25-year-old left‑back plays in the Czech league for the champions Liberec and has been targeted by Sparta Prague fans in the past.

Gebre Selassie said he was ready to forget the incident involving Russia fans. "Personally, I'm ready to put it behind me. I see no reason to discuss it with the media," he said, declining to give details about the abuse. He also said he did not want to complain officially.

Uefa has pledged zero tolerance of discrimination during the three-week tournament in Poland and Ukraine.

To help achieve this, it asked the Football Against Racism in Europe fans' network to send two monitors to each match to look for offensive banners, chants and behaviour in stadiums, and report to Uefa within 24 hours.

On Saturday, Fare said it identified verbal insults targeted at Gebre Selassie, whose father is Ethiopian.

The Czech team spokesman Jaroslav Kolar said the team is not considering filing any official complaint and has not been informed by Uefa about any investigation.

Last year, the Czech football association's disciplinary committee investigated Sparta Prague, whose fans were suspected of abusing Gebre Selassie in a league match. In a statement to the committee, the player said he was absolutely sure he was targeted, but was not in favour of any punishment for Sparta.

The Russian Football Association has appealed to its fans to behave better after Uefa opened disciplinary proceedings over their behaviour during the national team's Euro 2012 victory against Czech Republic.

Anti-racism campaigners claimed Gebre Selassie was the victim of monkey chants during the Group A game in Wroclaw on Friday night, while fans were caught on camera attacking stewards in a walkway at the Municipal Stadium.

A statement on the Russian FA website read: "We appeal to all fans who are in Poland. Remember that you represent your country. Respect yourself, your home and your team."

It is understood that as of last night the Czechs had not made a complaint to Uefa about the treatment of Gebre Selassie and the Czech camp were unaware of any racist abuse toward their player.

Russia, who beat the Czechs 4-1, take on co-hosts Poland in their next match in Warsaw on Tuesday.

By: Haiderzai