The UEFA Champions League clash between Paris Saint-Germain and Istanbul Basaksehir was suspended midway through the first half, as the fourth official was accused of racism by both sets of players in a shocking turn of events.
GFFN report that Istanbul Basaksehir's assistant coach Pierre Webo is the individual who is understood to be the victim of abuse. The Cameroonian was involved in an angry confrontation with the fourth official after allegations of racism, as the Paris Saint-Germain players joined the Istanbul Basaksehir squad in walking off the pitch.
Paris Saint-Germain and Istanbul Basaksehir left the pitch after reports of alleged racism
After a lengthy discussion with the match officials, it was confirmed that both Paris Saint-Germain and Istanbul Basaksehir would return to the pitch and resume the contest. While contrasting reports emerged about the incident, GFFN state that referee Sebastian Colţescu referred to Webo as "ala negru," which in Romanian can translate to "the black [guy]."
Colţescu is believed to have pleaded his innocence by pointing to his Romanian heritage, due to which it has been claimed that a case of miscommunication could have prompted the incident.
At the time of suspension, Paris Saint-Germain and Istanbul Basaksehir had played out 14 minutes without finding the back of the net. Thomas Tuchel's side have still not secured qualification to the knockout stages and could do so with a victory at the Parc des Princes.