TURKISH INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALLER Emre Belozoglu was given a two-and-a-half month suspended jail sentence today for a racist slur against Ivorian midfielder Didier Zokora during a domestic match in 2012.
The prosecutions had called for the 33-year-old midfielder to be jailed for two years but judges at an Istanbul court decided to suspend the sentence provided Belozoglu does not reoffend in the next five years, according local newspaper Hurriyet.
Emre, who plays for Turkish side Fenerbahce and has 91 caps for his country, was found guilty of racially abusing Trabzonspor midfielder Zokora.
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According to the Turkish press Emre, who is known for for his short temper, called Zokora a “dirty negro”.
After the incident, Emre was banned for just two matches by the Turkish football authorities, who did not take the racist tones of the insults into account.
The midfielder did apologise, claiming that “in the heat of the action, people sometimes say awful things. I used a stupid word.”
It is not the first time that Emre has been involved in a racism scandal.
During his time at Newcastle between 2005-2008, he was accused of racially abusing opponents on three separate occasions before leaving England to return to Turkey.
Emre handed suspended jail sentence for racist slur in game
TURKISH INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALLER Emre Belozoglu was given a two-and-a-half month suspended jail sentence today for a racist slur against Ivorian midfielder Didier Zokora during a domestic match in 2012.
The prosecutions had called for the 33-year-old midfielder to be jailed for two years but judges at an Istanbul court decided to suspend the sentence provided Belozoglu does not reoffend in the next five years, according local newspaper Hurriyet.
Emre, who plays for Turkish side Fenerbahce and has 91 caps for his country, was found guilty of racially abusing Trabzonspor midfielder Zokora.
According to the Turkish press Emre, who is known for for his short temper, called Zokora a “dirty negro”.
After the incident, Emre was banned for just two matches by the Turkish football authorities, who did not take the racist tones of the insults into account.
The midfielder did apologise, claiming that “in the heat of the action, people sometimes say awful things. I used a stupid word.”
It is not the first time that Emre has been involved in a racism scandal.
During his time at Newcastle between 2005-2008, he was accused of racially abusing opponents on three separate occasions before leaving England to return to Turkey.
- © AFP, 2014
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