Berlin, Dec. 10, (dpa/GNA) – Neymar scored a hat-trick after taking a knee with all other players and the new referee on Wednesday as Paris Saint-Germain beat Basaksehir 5-1 in the completion of a Champions League match suspended the previous day over a racist incident involving the fourth official.
Play continued in the 14th minute with the score 0-0, but Neymar then struck in the 21st, 38th and 50th minute, and was also involved in the other two from Kylian Mbappe to help last season’s runners-up PSG win Group H. Mehmet Topal scored for the last-placed Turks.
In a big show of unity and solidarity against racism both teams and officials had warmed up in t-shirts with the writing “No to Racism” before taking the knee, and big banners with the same slogan and the two clubs’ emblems were hung up in the empty Parc des Princes.
There were also banners saying “support for M Webo … proud of the players … against racism” and “Paris united against racism.”
The match lasted only 14 minutes at its original date Tuesday because Basaksehir and then PSG left the pitch after the fourth official, Romenian Sebastian Coltescu, allegedly used a racist phrase when identifying Basaksehir’s Cameroonian assistant coach Pierre Webo as to be red-carded.
Play was postponed until Wednesday, and a new referee team led by Dutchman Danny Makkelie appointed by UEFA which also launched a probe into the incidents and suspended Webo’s red card which allowed him to return on Wednesday.
“Of course I’m proud of what has been done. A lot has been said, but in reality there is nothing better than actions,” Mbappe told Telefoot after the game.
“We never want to go through this again. We are all human beings, and that was intolerable. People are fed up and something had to be done.
“Yesterday we were not disappointed not to play. We made this decision. We were proud. Because by letting this kind of thing go we make people believe that it is normal. But no. Afterwards, we had to get back to football and we did it very well.”
Neymar opened the scoring in the 21st with a curling shot into the top left corner and made it 2-0 on the counter in the 38th.
The Brazilian was then ruled to have been fouled by goalkeeper Mert Gunok which set up Kylian Mbappe’s successful penalty shortly before half-time for the French forward’s first goal of the campaign.
Neymar completed his hat-trick in the 50th with another long-range effort, Topal put brave Basaksehir on the scoresheet seven minutes later when effectively hit by a shot from team-mate Irfan Can. Mbappe wrapped up matters another five minutes on with his second.
The victory saw PSG finish top of the group over 2020 semi-finalists Leipzig because they won the head-to-head with both teams tied on 12 points. Leipzig beat Manchester United 3-2 on Tuesday with the English side now continuing in the Europa League.
Neymar and Mbappe had been among the PSG players who had confronted the referees on Tuesday, and the teams’ strong stand against racism drew a lot of praise.
Gabriel Attal, a spokesperson for the French government, praised the solidarity of the players. “Any racism is unacceptable,” he told broadcaster CNews.
“We gave the racist referee his lesson,” Turkey’s Hurriyet paper said, naming the decision to leave the field a “historical stance.”
Hurriyet also praised Mbappe for tweeting: “Say no to Racism. M. Webo we are with you,” and Neymar’s post of: “BLACK LIVES MATTER.”
The Romanian football federation distanced itself from Coltescu’s alleged comment and said the official would suffer consequences if deemed necessary following an investigation by UEFA.
UEFA confirmed on Wednesday that “an ethics and disciplinary inspector has been appointed … regarding the incident and the events” in the game.
GNA