In Baku, where FIFA’s first official Under-15 World Cup is being staged across a vast multi-pitch complex, England’s match with Ireland was halted after an English player reported an alleged racist insult.
England coach Matt Thorpe instructed his side to leave the field in the 40th minute after being told that one of his players had been called a “monkey” by an opponent. FIFA has opened an investigation into the incident.
Ireland’s coaching staff rejected the allegation, while the stoppage was accompanied by a confrontation between members of the two teams’ backroom staff.
A new FIFA tournament in Baku
The competition in Azerbaijan is FIFA’s first official World Cup at Under-15 level. Teams play with eight players, rather than the conventional 11, and fixtures consist of two 20-minute halves.
A total of 189 national teams are taking part in the tournament, which is due to run until the 30th. Nearly 1,000 matches are scheduled, with infrastructure allowing up to 20 games to be played simultaneously across different pitches.
The England-Ireland episode has brought an early and serious controversy to a tournament designed to give youth international football a new global platform.
