Football: Blatter wrong about Boateng: Platini

PARIS: Uefa president Michel Platini differed with his Fifa counterpart Sepp Blatter in applauding Kevin-Prince Boateng leading his AC Milan teammates off the pitch after receiving a torrent of racial abuse in a friendly earlier this month. Blatter had said players should not take matters into their own hands although he has since said that clubs whose fans are guilty of racial abuse could end up facing either points deductions or even demotion. However, Platini told French radio station RTL he had been delighted by Ghanaian international mid-fielder Boateng’s gesture in walking off after some fans of Italian fourth division side Pro Patria showered him with racial abuse. “I appreciated it enormously,” said Platini. “It was excellent, in fact I later called Milan to congratulate them.” Platini, though, said that Uefa already had regulations in place should racial abuse take place during matches.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 23^rd, 2013.