Clinton Morrison: UEFA ruling hurts me

Clinton Morrison says he is “hurt” by UEFA’s “embarrassing” punishment handed to Bulgaria for their fans’ racism towards England players in Sofia.

The Sky Sports football expert and former Crystal Palace striker has slammed the two-match stadium closure and £64,650 fine as a “joke” and insists the governing body should be doing much more.

Morrison’s sentiments have been echoed by anti-racism groups Kick It Out and FARE, who work closely with UEFA, while Liverpool youngster Rhian Brewster also said the ruling was an “embarrassment”.

Speaking to Sky Sports News on Tuesday, Morrison said: “Everyone knows me. I’m a bubbly sort of character. But this is close to my heart because I’m a black person and it’s not good when you’re getting racially abused.

“I don’t play football anymore but these players are out on the pitch, and young kids are aspiring to be like them, and you’re hearing all sorts of racism and they come out with something like that. UEFA need to look at themselves.

“It doesn’t surprise me and hurts me to say that. I expected that from UEFA and it’s not good. What kind of statement are they making when Nicklas Bendtner is fined more heavily for wearing the wrong logo on his shorts?

“It’s an embarrassment. It’s a joke. The more we talk about it, the more people think it’s okay to do it. I don’t know how it’s going to get sorted out. We keep talking and it’s not getting any better.”

UEFA’s ruling came on the night an FA Cup game was being replayed between Haringey Borough and Yeovil Town after the previous fixture was abandoned due to Haringey’s players walking off the pitch because of racist abuse from Yeovil fans.

Kick It Out’s head of development Troy Townsend expressed concern to Sky Sports News that the match was being replayed before the FA had reached a ruling over the incident – and Morrison agreed.

“More things are going to keep happening, and these black players are going to keep walking off – and there’s going to be no games and these fans have to know that,” he said.

“It’s the same here with that Yeovil game. How’s nothing been done about that by the FA here? They’re replaying the game but nothing’s been done; racially abused, missiles thrown at them. They were right to walk off the pitch and more people are going to start walking off.

“The racism thing is getting beyond a joke. Sitting here as a black person myself, and experiencing it before – it just hurts me. I’ve said it so many times; I can come here and talk about it loads but UEFA needs to do it, they need to come out and make a big statement, and the FA needs to do something too.”