MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester City says a friendly being played by its Under-21 team in Croatia on Tuesday was abandoned after team management ordered the players off the pitch following alleged racist abuse.
City said in a statement that its 19-year-old French midfielder Seko Fofana, who is black, was targeted by an opponent from Croatian team HNK Rijeka toward the end of the first half in Novigrad.
The Premier League champions said “a decision was taken by the management staff to withdraw the City team from the field of play and cancel the game.”
City added that its representatives in Croatia and Manchester were liaising with officials, match organizers and Croatia’s football association “to pursue this matter further.”
The Under-21 team bridges the gap between the youth academy and first-team squads.
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