Former Arsenal midfielder and loveable goofball Emmanuel Eboue was subjected to sub-human treatment when his Galatasaray side visited Besiktas. Repeatedly pelted by a wide array of objects from the stands, Eboue was clearly in fear as the home fans targeted him and teammate Engin Baytar for their abuse until the whole squad was escorted off under protective shields.
From the AP:
The abuse came despite a decision by Turkey's big four clubs, including Galatasaray and Besiktas, not to allow visiting fans to attend games involving them in an effort to prevent violence. Turkey also introduced stringent anti-hooliganism laws in April, including prison terms for unruly fans.
The Star newspaper said Turkey's football federation had filed a formal report about the incident and that Besiktas fans could be barred from attending two home games. It did not cite a source for the report.
And that (hopefully) concludes a weekend where fans everywhere decided to act like spoiled beasts and throw things at the pitch and the people on it. In Germany, Hansa Rostock fans threw bananas. In Spain, someone threw an umbrella at a linesman. Now this in Turkey, which could carry a two-match ban for Besiktas fans.
Whether the abuse was racist remains unclear. Officials have denied any racial motives and Baytar, who was also targeted, is not black. But there have been reports of "monkey" chants aimed at Eboue, so Sepp Blatter might make every Besiktas fan shake hands with Eboue just for good measure. In fact, for something this bad, maybe he'd require them to throw in a pat on the back, too.
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