After an alleged racist incident marred Chelsea's victory at Tottenham, Sky Sports' Gary Neville spoke passionately about the response required. Here's his post-match verdict in full...
Monday 23 December 2019 14:39, UK
"We are talking about a micro-level with an individual behind the goal but it is far deeper than that. Ultimately, Ashley was abused in the Bernabeu 15 years ago in a game I played in and I probably didn't give it a moment's thought in the dressing room really.
"We are thinking about it as football players. You are sat there in the changing room and then you hear there is a media storm. The English media are calling for FIFA, UEFA and the Spanish authorities to deal with it. Similarly with Bulgaria recently.
"But we have a racism problem in the Premier League in England.
"The Premier League have got to stand up. They hide behind the FA on this issue. They hide behind the FA, in my opinion. They push disciplinary issues onto the FA.
"I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, we have just had an election in this country where both main parties and the leaders of both main parties are accused constantly over the last month of fuelling racism and accepting racism within their parties.
"If it is accepted at the highest office in the country, we are not talking about it at a micro level we are talking about it at an absolutely enormous level, the highest office in the country.
"We have seen an issue today that we might say is down to one particular person but it is a far bigger issue than that and there has to be something that happens quickly.
"We maybe have to empower the players to walk off the pitch and stop the entertainment while it's happening because that's the only way I can see it changing.
"I didn't walk off the pitch when Ashley was abused 15 years ago and people might say it's OK to sit in my ivory tower of a commentary box and tell players to walk off the pitch but ultimately I am ashamed of myself for not doing it 15 years ago and I would be absolutely proud of players now if they did something about it and took it into their own hands.
"The PFA have to act because ultimately the PFA are there to protect football players in this country and football players in this country are being abused while doing their jobs. That is unacceptable.
"The PFA might have to take it into their own hands if the Premier League and the FA don't act and stop pointing the finger at the Bulgarian FA and the Spanish FA because we have to deal with our own ship."
"Ultimately, I accepted it, because I was in the changing room when players got racially abused for maybe 10 years. But l wasn't offended by it at the time. It was almost as if 'no, we are football players and we concentrate on football'. But when you get older, you get wiser and you see the issues in society and you see that football can be a driver for change and it is not being.
"I have no faith in politicians to do anything. But football can be a driver for change, it can make a difference. It has proven it can make a difference. However, it is not doing because it is not taking the issue seriously.
"Putting a few announcements out or putting a few t-shirts on or putting up a poster is not going to deal with this issue. It's not. Ultimately, I wish now that I had been a bit more offended.
"I said the same when I was a coach and Raheem Sterling was abused at the start of the Euro 2016 tournament. It is happening now far too often.
"We are horrified, back page headlines on every newspaper, when our lads are abused over in Bulgaria. We are happy to tell them what they need to do. But will it be on the back page of the headlines tomorrow?
"The Premier League is watched by 1.5 billion people every weekend, all over the world, in Africa, in Asia and in Europe. It is our responsibility to set the tone, not to point the finger at the Bulgarian FA."
