Monaco's Tchouameni suffers racist abuse in Champions League qualifier

Paris, Aug 3, 2021 (AFP) - Monaco midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni and his teammates said he was racially abused after scoring in Tuesday's third qualifying round first leg against Sparta Prague in the Champions League.

French under-21 international Tchouameni claimed the opener in the first half.

He and his teammates then ran over to coach Niko Kovac and UEFA officials, including referee Michael Oliver, to complain about monkey chants from the crowd in the Czech capital.

According to French broadcaster Canal+, Englishman Oliver followed UEFA's protocol for such an incident, as the game was held up for three minutes.

A message played out on the public address system and posted on the Letna Stadium screen warning that any further racist abuse would lead to the game being halted.

Monaco won the match 2-0.

Later, former winners PSV Eindhoven face Denmark's Midtjylland, while Scottish champions Rangers play Malmo.

On Wednesday, two-time winners Benfica head to Spartak Moscow in the pick of the three ties.