England Under-15 Coach Matt Thorpe Pulls Players Off After Racism Allegation

• England walked off in the final minute of their Under-15 World Cup match against the Republic of Ireland in Baku after a player reported a racist slur, and the game was abandoned with Ireland leading 4-1.
• FIFA is investigating, and the matter will be referred to its independent disciplinary committee. The Football Association said the wellbeing of players is a priority.
• England head coach Matt Thorpe called his players off, and an assistant coach told the referee: “we are reporting racism”.

England Refuse to Play On After a Player Raises a Complaint

England’s Under-15s walked off the pitch at the first FIFA Under-15 World Cup on Monday after one of their players reported a racist slur from an opponent. The Group C match against the Republic of Ireland in Baku, Azerbaijan, was abandoned in the final minute with Ireland leading 4-1.

FIFA has said it is investigating. The allegation has not been tested, and neither the Football Association of Ireland nor Fifa has ruled on what was said.

How the Minutes After the Allegation Played Out

An altercation between players from both sides came shortly before the end of the match. An England player then approached his bench and made a complaint to the coaching staff. Footage from DAZN’s coverage showed England staff relaying the complaint to the referee and calling their players off.

Head coach Matt Thorpe was seen asking the referee to come over before he told his players to leave the field. The referee first told England’s coaching staff, “I cannot hear”. One of Thorpe’s assistants then told him: “we are reporting racism”. He added: “we do not want to play”.

When another official came over to talk about what would happen after the match, the assistant coach said: “No, our players do not want to play”. He was later heard saying that a player was “upset”. Heated words followed between the two sets of coaching staff, and both sides said they were trying to protect their players.

What FIFA and the FA Have Said

A FIFA spokesperson confirmed the match “was abandoned by the referee following England’s refusal to continue”. The spokesperson added: “The official reports are being gathered, and the matter will be referred to the independent disciplinary committee, who will decide in due course.”

The Football Association has not commented in detail. It told BBC Sport it was awaiting more information and was in touch with Fifa, and that the wellbeing of players is a priority. The Guardian reported that the FA is taking the matter seriously and providing support to players and staff. The Football Association of Ireland had been contacted for comment.

A New Tournament With a High-Profile Test

This is the first time the Under-15 World Cup and Festival has been played. It involves teams from 189 of FIFA’s 211 member associations, more than 3,000 players and 950 matches, with every team playing at least nine games. Matches use an eight-a-side format on smaller pitches, with two 20-minute halves.

Fifa described the event before it began as “unrivalled in scale or ambition”. Arsene Wenger, FIFA’s chief of global football development, said it gives “players from across the world the chance to compete, to learn and to grow”.

England had won their three earlier matches against Cambodia, Montenegro and Nicaragua. They were due to face Zimbabwe later on Monday, while Ireland were scheduled to play Cambodia. Only the group winners progress to the top-tier competition this week, and the other teams are placed in separate tiers by finishing position.

The outcome now rests with FIFA’s independent disciplinary committee, which will look at the official reports before it decides on any action.

WRITTEN BY

Jarrod

Jarrod Partridge is the Founder of Futbol Chronicle and an accredited journalist with over 30 years of experience following international football. A member of the AIPS International Sports Press Association, Jarrod has covered matches at stadiums around the world, bringing first-hand insight to every match report, player profile, and tactical analysis he writes.

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