An under-16s game between Liverpool and Juventus was abandoned after Liverpool walked off in protest at one of their players being racially abused by an opponent. The incident occurred during a Next Generation Trophy game in Austria on Friday and resulted in the Juventus player being suspended by his club for the rest of the tournament.
A Liverpool player reported being racially abused to coaching staff on the touchline. They in turn instructed the rest of the team to follow protocol and leave the pitch. The match was abandoned and Liverpool were offered an apology by Juventus staff.
A Liverpool spokesperson said in a statement to The Athletic:
“The individual responsible was identified immediately and removed from the competition as a result of the swift intervention of our own players and staff, tournament organisers and opposition management, who have also taken additional disciplinary measures inclusive of education.
“We would like to place on record our appreciation for the prompt actions taken by all involved. This applies most of all to the player subjected to the attack, who showed remarkable maturity in following established protocols, including leaving the pitch, in order to report the matter as soon as it occurred. He is receiving the full support of the club. We would also reiterate that our condemnation of all forms of racist abuse remains unequivocal and absolute.”
Juventus academy staff and the tournament organisers, Red Bull Salzburg, have contacted Liverpool to offer further apologies and check on the player who was racially abused. The Juventus player has been sent on an anti-discrimination education course.
Before their next game against Independiente, Liverpool under-16s took the knee before kick off and were joined by the Argentinian opponents in a show of support.
