Juninho Bacuna allegedly racially abused in Birmingham win over Huddersfield
Manager John Eustace condemned the alleged racist abuse directed at midfielder Juninho Bacuna during Birmingham’s 4-1 win over Huddersfield.
The match was stopped late in the second half when referee Sam Allison went to speak to Eustace and Terrier’s counterpart Darren Moore after the issue was raised on the field of play.
Speaking afterwards, after his side won with two goals from Siriki Dembele and one each from Koji Miyoshi and Jordan James, Eustace made his feelings clear.
“I believe Bacuna was racially abused by one of our fans, which is obviously disgusting,” he said.
“It’s not something we expect in society, let alone in football. Birmingham is very proud of how diverse we are as a club and a city, and there is absolutely no room for that whatsoever.
“It’s very disappointing. They reported it, it’s out of order.”
In a statement, Birmingham confirmed that the incident would be included in the official’s match report and that the club would assist the FA, EFL and authorities accordingly.
Birmingham added: “Blues give their full support to Juninho. There is no room for racism in the game.”
The club’s owner, Tom Wagner, also promised to issue a lifetime ban to the supporter.
He said: “I would like to discuss a concerning incident that took place during the match against Huddersfield Town. Our player, Juninho Bacuna, bravely reported that he was the victim of racist abuse by an individual in Arthur’s Area in St. Andrew’s. It is disheartening to hear that such behavior exists, especially in the family section of our home base. Furthermore, Huddersfield player Tom Edwards confirmed that he also heard the racist comments against Juninho.
“First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to Juninho and Tom for quickly bringing this matter to the attention of the officials. It takes courage to stand up to such unacceptable behavior. At the same time, I would like to make it clear that we condemn anyone who believes that making racially motivated comments is acceptable. Such actions have no place in football or in society as a whole.
“We are fully committed to working with West Midlands Police to ensure the necessary action is taken and the person responsible is brought to justice. In addition, we will impose a lifetime ban on this individual, preventing him or her from attending future matches.
“Birmingham City Football Club takes a strong stand against all forms of discrimination. We operate a zero-tolerance policy and anyone who engages in such behavior will not be welcome at St. Andrew’s. We will not condone the actions of any individual. to tarnish the reputation of our great club. Birmingham City Football Club reflects the diversity and pride of the city it represents, and we stand united against discrimination, ready to support each other when needed.”
Huddersfield boss Moore said of the incident: “It’s a shame that it’s going to cloud the game tonight because from Birmingham’s perspective it’s a good three points for them but the incident will overshadow it.
“The referee stopped the match, called in both managers, said there was an incident in the corner of a home spectator against the home player and although the home player didn’t want to report it, our player Tom Edwards heard it. Both players heard it clearly and it was reported.
“They have video evidence and we will let the football authorities, the referee and the match officials come to a conclusion with that.
“It’s not something we condone in the game, but it’s still there and we’re showing our support.”