Keylor Navas, PSG advance in Champions League as match stopped by alleged racism

Keylor Navas and Paris Saint-Germain advanced from the Champions League group stage on Tuesday thanks to Manchester United’s loss to RB Leipzig.

But the larger story was PSG and its opponent, Istanbul Basaksehir, refusing to play after an official allegedly used a racial term to describe a Cameroonian assistant manager.

Both teams left the pitch at the Parc des Princes after an argument erupted when the Romanian fourth official, Sebastian Coltescu, appeared to refer to Basaksehir’s assistant coach Pierre Webo as “black”, or “negru” in Romanian.

After 10 minutes of discussion, the referees “invited both teams to return to their respective changing rooms. An hour and a half after the interruption, UEFA decided to officially end the match,” a statement from PSG reads.

“All forms of racism go against the values held by Paris Saint-Germain and the club’s Chairman, staff and players,” the statement continues.

✊🏻✊🏿 NO TO RACISM | #Respect pic.twitter.com/Ic1BzfANoi

— İstanbul Başakşehir (@ibfk2014) December 8, 2020

The match will resume — with different referees — at 11:55 a.m. CST Wednesday.

Regardless of Wednesday’s result, PSG are assured a spot in the Champions League knockout stages. But a win against Istanbul Basaksehir would secure a first-place finish for the French club in Group H.