Investigation into anti-racism protocol requested

Further to the opening of disciplinary proceedings against PFC CSKA Moskva following the alleged racist behaviour of some of their supporters at the UEFA Champions League match between CSKA and Manchester City FC on 23 October, UEFA President Michel Platini has requested that the UEFA administration immediately conduct an internal investigation to understand why the three-step protocol established to deal with incidents of a racist nature was not implemented.

This protocol empowers the referee to stop the match and ask for a public address system announcement to be made urging spectators to stop such racist conduct and warn that the game will be suspended and subsequently abandoned should such unacceptable behaviour continue. The procedure is as follows:

• First step: if the referee becomes aware of serious racist behaviour, or is informed of it by the fourth official, he shall, as a first step, halt the game and ask for an announcement to be made requesting the public to immediately desist from such racist behaviour.

• Second step: if the racist behaviour does not cease once the game has restarted, the referee shall suspend the match for a reasonable period of time, and ask the teams go to the dressing rooms. A further announcement shall be made to the public.

• Third and final step: if the racist conduct does not end after the game has then resumed, the referee shall definitively abandon the match as a last resort. The UEFA delegate will assist the referee, through the fourth official, in determining whether the racist behaviour has stopped, and any decision to abandon the fixture will only be taken after all other possible measures have been implemented and the impact of abandoning the match on the security of the players and public has been assessed.

UEFA will publish the findings of this internal investigation once the disciplinary case has been dealt with by UEFA's independent Control and Disciplinary Body on 30 October.