UEFA may act after Heskey suffers racist abuse

UEFA will meet next month to decide whether any action will be taken against Portuguese side Boavista after racial abuse was aimed at Liverpool striker Emile Heskey during their Champions League match this week.

The England international was taunted by supporters of the Portuguese club during the group B game in Oporto on Wednesday night, and the UEFA delegate has included the incidents in his official match report.

A UEFA spokeswoman told Reuters on Friday: "Although Liverpool have made no official complaint, the issue has been raised in the delegate's report of the game.

"The board of Control and Discipline will open an inquiry on November 8 and will come to a final decision on whether or not to take any action."

Heskey, a victim of racial abuse in previous trips abroad with club and country, has called the supporters who racially abused him during the 1-1 draw "ignorant".

But the 23-year-old says he has found such behaviour to be commonplace in European matches.

"It's sad that this sort of thing goes on," he told the Daily Mail on Friday.

"It does happen a lot in Europe and the fact is I have got used to it - I have had to.

"I have had to put up with it on several recent away trips. All it tells you is that there are still some ignorant people about.

"I try to answer them the best way I can - on the pitch. I find it astonishing it should happen against Boavista, as some of their players are black.

"It takes a strange mentality to behave like that and it is something which should be eradicated from the game."

Boavista striker Silva, himself a black Brazilian, believes Heskey has no reason to take offence as he believes such behaviour is normal in Portugal.

He told the Mail: "I consider it normal. The aim is to simply make the opposing team nervous. Liverpool are experienced and should have been able to deal with it."

NOT SCORING

Meanwhile, assistant coach Phil Thompson has told Heskey he is not facing the axe from the Liverpool team despite not scoring for them in his last 12 games.

"Emile's not getting the rewards at the moment but it happens," he told the Liverpool website on Friday.

"He is not having much joy in front of goal at the moment but you cannot question his approach. He's still doing everything right, the chance he had against Boavista he hit too well.

"If one was to go in off his back-side then nobody would be more pleased than him.