Beyond the 5-1 win against Istanbul Basaksehir, the scandal over the alleged racism for which UEFA is investigating the fourth official, Sebastian Coltescu, remained in memory.
The refusal of the players to continue playing after the Romanian called Pierre Webo, a member of the Turkish club’s coaching staff “black,” forced the postponement of the match for this Wednesday. But the pressure on the alleged act of racism did not drop.
Coltescu had to see an emotional warm-up, with all the protagonists wearing T-shirts with the legend ‘No to racism’, remembering their mistake in the game last Tuesday. They then gathered around the center circle before the match was restarted with a free kick for the Turkish champions, from minute 14. All very stained with protest.
But the mess can go beyond that bad moment, as UEFA announced that it appointed an “ethical and disciplinary inspector” to direct an urgent investigation, as the rules are clear and establish a punishment of 10 games for those who star in this kind of incidents.
The issue is who will be punished, as Coltescu had announced that this would be his last game before retirement and had already been removed from the FIFA list.
In a statement from a local media it was said that the criticized judge had told his family: “I only try to be good.” And precisely that sadness that his own people perceive reminded him that he is a man with a conflictive career, which includes sports sanctions and even suicide attempts.
Problems and more problems
Coltescu began his career several years ago and although many recognize his talent, in 2007 he made several mistakes that he made and which cost him exemplary punishment: he was demoted to the Romanian second division, disappeared from the international scene and only ‘promoted’ in 2013.
The media in his country recall that precisely between 2007 and 2008 he had two suicide attempts, the last on October 3, 2008, when he tried to jump from a high floor and was saved by local rescue organizations.
According to Adrian Porumboiu, a former Romanian collegiate, “Coltescu’s entire career is full of dark moments. He may have talent, but he can dedicate himself to something else, music or dance. In refereeing he must be impartial. […] A referee is allowed human errors, but they have not been for years, “he said.
The referee is remembered in his country for events such as the expulsion of 7 players, with 13 warned by a yellow card, in a match in 2013; in 2015 he grabbed a player by the neck to defend himself from insults and then disallowed three goals against Steua in a match against Astra.
In the current season, he only led the duel in Europe Siroko Brijeg – Almaty of the Europa League, Atlético – Galatasaray of the Youth League and was fourth official in the recent Shakhtar – Real Madrid of the Champions League.
Precisely in attention to these personal problems, UEFA could decide a less harsh punishment, taking into account that in any case the referee does not take criticism well and all this scandal could end up compromising his life.
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