'No tolerance, no excuses' - Sunderland issue strong response to racism allegation

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Sunderland have issued a statement condemning alleged racist abuse of Lutsharel Geertruida following an incident which saw Sunday's Tyne-Wear derby halted early in the second half.

The Black Cats beat Newcastle 2-1 at St James' Park courtesy of a dramatic late winner from Brian Brobbey . But Sunderland's triumph on enemy soil was overshadowed by an incident where Geertruida was subjected to discriminatory abuse from the crowd .

The game was paused for around three minutes with the Premier League confirming the report of abuse in a statement on their Match Centre social media account.

And Sunderland have issued a strong message of their own against the "abhorrent" abuse directed at their defender, saying there can be "no excuse" when it comes to such incidents.

A statement released by the club after Sunday's game read: “Sunderland AFC is aware of the reported incident of racist abuse directed at Lutsharel Geertruida during today’s fixture at St. James’ Park.

“We stand with Lutsharel, who has our complete backing, and we commend him for displaying bravery and leadership by reporting this incident to the match officials.

“Racism is completely unacceptable. It is abhorrent, and has no place in our game or in society.

“We acknowledge Newcastle United ’s statement and expect those responsible to be identified and held accountable.

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“There can be no tolerance, no excuses, and no ambiguity when it comes to incidents of this nature.

“ Football must be a safe and inclusive environment for everyone - without exception - and we will continue to work with the relevant authorities to support that aim.”

Sunderland boss Regis le Bris said of Geertruida and the incident post-match: “He looks OK. It is unacceptable and important to report and manage the situation properly. He looks OK, but we need to support him.”

Newcastle said they would be aiding the authorities with their investigations post-match. Their statement read: “We are aware of a report of racism made by a visiting player against someone in the crowd during our Premier League match against Sunderland. Our stance is clear – we do not tolerate discrimination of any form. We will work with the authorities to fully investigate and will ensure any individuals are identified and held accountable.”

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