Liam Rosenior says there is no place in football for anyone found guilty of racism

By Robert O'Connor, Press Association

Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior said anyone in football who is found guilty of racism “should not be in the game.”

On Tuesday, Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior briefly refused to return to the field after alleging he was racially abused by Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni during a Champions League game in Lisbon.

The Portuguese side have since defended their player, claiming there is a “defamation campaign” against him, whilst manager Jose Mourinho accused Vinicius of provoking the incident with his celebration of a goal.

Prestianni, who has denied directing racial abuse at the Brazilian, could face a minimum 10-match ban from European competition if found guilty.

Rosenior though, whilst not commenting on the case directly, believes authorities must take firmer stance against racism.

“It’s upsetting,” he said. “There’s context that needs to be had in terms of this situation. What I will say, any form of racism in society is unacceptable. I cannot speak about an incident where an investigation is ongoing.

“What I would say it when you see a player upset how Vinicius Junior was upset, normally they’re upset for a reason. I’ve been racially abused myself.

“What people have to understand is when you are judged for something you should be proud of, it is the worst feeling you can ever possibly imagine. There are historical things to racism.

“I need to, as manager of this club, make my statement on it.

“If any coach, player or manager is ever found guilty of racism, they shouldn’t be in the game. It’s as simple as that for me.”