How Russian Player Racially Abused Joseph Yobo In England
Super Eagles assistant coach, Joseph Yobo was racially abused in England in 2006 but the former Super Eagles captain did not take action, Bestchoicesports.com.ng understands.
Yobo was allegedly abused Emre Belozoglu during a Premier League game involving Newcastle and Everton in 2006.
According to former England winger Kieron Dyer says his former teammate Emre Belozoglu racially abused Joseph Yobo during the match with Sportsmail reporting that Emre was alleged to have called Yobo ‘a f***ing n*****’.
Yobo, however, did not hear what Emre said but Tim Howard and Joleon Lescott, who reportedly heard, accused the Turkey midfielder of racial abuse, Dier said in an interview with The Kick Off.
Emre was charged afterward with using racially aggravated language towards Yobo but was cleared in March 2007 and Dyer has explained how, in hindsight, he was used as part of Emre’s defence in a panel of inquiry.
“There was a time at Newcastle, we played Everton away and we had Emre and there was a massive skirmish with him and Yobo and Joleon Lescott was going f****** ballistic,” Dyer told The Kick Off.
“He (Emre) had said something racist about Yobo and they were trying to get to him in the tunnel. I’ve never seen Joleon so mad. They reported it to the referee and there was a big, massive FA hearing.
“But knowing what I know and just seeing the reaction, if that had happened the way I am today, seeing Joleon’s reaction and the club asked me to be a witness, I’d say no.”
Emre has a notorious record of racially abusing black players, with then Bolton forward El-Hadji Diouf a victim in October 2006.
In March 2007, Emre again faced an allegation of racism, this time from Watford defender Alhassan Bangura.
Later in his career, Emre was given a two-and-a-half-month suspended prison sentence for a racist insult he used against Didier Zokora during a match for Fenerbahce against Trabzonspor in April 2012.
In February, the 39-year-old also allegedly made a racist remark towards Mikel Obi during a Turkish Super Lig game involving Trabzonspor and Fenerbache.
Additonal report from Punch