MX23RW : Tuesday, April 16 11:57:49| >> :600:853994:853994:

Gareth Southgate hints that England would walk off if subjected to racism again

The England boss says it should not be the players who are forced to make such important calls.

England boss Gareth Southgate has hinted his side would walk off the pitch if they were subject to racist abuse again, saying fans should not get two or three free hits.

England's black players have suffered sickening abuse in Euro 2020 qualifiers in Montenegro and Bulgaria over the last 14 months, with Danny Rose, Raheem Sterling, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Tyrone Mings among those targeted.

The game in Sofia was subjected to several stoppages as per UEFA protocols before England eventually decided to play on, but Southgate has said they would not be so forgiving next time.

"I think players would feel we don't want to go through an experience again where people get one or two chances to have a go at us before we are able to take action," he said.

"I think every situation is unique. I don't see going through a situation like we did in Bulgaria again in the same way – the group will have moved on and their level of tolerance for something like that would be different.

"On that night, by following the process we did, we still made a huge statement across the world – that is going to have less impact if we are put in that position again.

"I can only reiterate that by that stage, in my view, we've gone too far anyway. We should not be experiencing that situation in the ground, full stop.

"I'm loathe to comment on walking off abroad because again there is a perception there that I am shifting the problem to somebody else's doorstep when, quite clearly, we've got to sort our own country and our own game out."

Gareth Southgate wants football's authorities to lead on racism in the game
Gareth Southgate wants football's authorities to lead on racism in the game (Mike Egerton/PA)

Southgate has admitted that they were caught off-guard in Montenegro and were unsure of how to react, but they played on in Bulgaria after a half-time dressing room discussion.

The England boss says it should not be the players who are forced to make such important calls.

He added: "I can only add that having been in that leadership position that night, that's an incredibly complex environment to be in and you are fully aware of all of the balances ... wanting to make a strong stand, wanting to support your players, not wanting to be seen as a hero for doing something that might not have been necessary,not just wanting to be centre stage for the wrong reasons.

"So much goes through your mind that I think it is, I said on the night, incredibly difficult for the referee, incredibly difficult for those on the side of the pitch.

"In a game where it might be closer, more intense, I think for all the onus to be on the coaches, the players and the referee is incredibly difficult. People outside of that who are officiating the game, running the game, have got to be at the forefront of what happens."

ID:401959: cacheID:401959:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:5565:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho celebrates scoring against Paderborn on May 31, 2020
Read Next:
Kick It Out chair calls on players to kneel in protest before kickoff
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Manchester CityMan City32227376324473
2Arsenal32225575264971
3Liverpool32218372314171
4Aston Villa33196868491963
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs32186865491660
6Newcastle UnitedNewcastle321551269521750
7Manchester UnitedMan Utd32155124748-150
8West Ham UnitedWest Ham33139115258-648
9Chelsea31138106152947
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton321111105250244
11Wolverhampton WanderersWolves32127134651-543
12Fulham33126154951-242
13Bournemouth32119124757-1042
14Crystal Palace3289153754-1733
15Brentford3388174758-1132
16Everton3298153248-1627
17Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest3379174258-1626
18Luton TownLuton3367204670-2425
19Burnley3348213368-3520
20Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd3237223084-5416


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!