Racism in stands mars Chelsea’s 2-0 win at Tottenham in EPL

LONDON (AP) — FIFA’s protocol for dealing with discrimination at soccer games was implemented for the first time in the Premier League on Sunday when there were three stadium announcements during a London derby between Tottenham and Chelsea, following apparent racist abuse toward Chelsea’s Antonio Rudiger.

The announcements came in the second half, after Rudiger was kicked in the chest by Son Heung-min in an incident that led to the 62nd-minute sending-off of Tottenham’s South Korea forward.

Rudiger, who is black, was seen putting his hands under his armpits – seemingly mimicking a monkey gesture – in the 63rd minute.

The third announcement came in injury time, by which stage – according to the protocol – the game should have been abandoned and the players taken off the field.

Referee Anthony Taylor appeared to receive complaints from the players, leading to the protocol being used.

It overshadowed a 2-0 win for Chelsea, which cemented fourth place in the Premier League for Frank Lampard’s side.

Earlier, Manchester United lost 2-0 at last-place Watford.

Chelsea is four points clear of fifth-place Sheffield United, while the gap is six points to Tottenham in seventh place and seven points to United in eighth. ___

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