Platini orders probe into handling of CSKA-Manchester City tie

UEFA President Michel Platini has ordered an investigation after a Champions League referee failed to follow guidelines and stop a match to warn Russian fans about racist abuse.

UEFA said its protocol for match officials to handle racism incidents “was not applied” during the CSKA Moscow-Manchester City match on Wednesday.

“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,” UEFA said in a statement.

Platini’s request puts 33-year-old Romanian referee Ovidiu Hategan in the dock as well as the Russian club.

UEFA has opened a disciplinary case against CSKA, after receiving by complaints Man City and midfielder Yaya Toure.

The Ivory Coast midfielder said he told Hategan during play about monkey noises being targeted at City’s black players by home fans.

Hategan did not stop play and ask stadium officials to broadcast a warning, the first part of UEFA’s guidelines to deal with racist abuse in stadiums.

Toure described as “unbelievable and very, very sad” the monkey chants reportedly directed at him by fans of the Russian capital club during the game, won 2-1 by City.

“We want to stop that and UEFA have to be strong, maybe close the stadium,” Toure told Britain’s Sky television at the end of the match.

Toure later said he did not exclude the possibilty of black players boycotting the 2018 World Cup in Russia as a result of their treatment at the hands of Russian fans.