Saturday 23 November 2019 21:44, UK
Players in the top flight in the Netherlands paused for the opening minute of their matches on Saturday in response to a racist incident in the second tier last weekend.
Excelsior winger Ahmad Mendes Moreira was subjected to abuse at Den Bosch, prompting players in the top two divisions to refrain from playing for the first 60 seconds of their fixtures and applaud while the message 'Racism? Then we won't play football!' was displayed in the stadiums.
The action was agreed by the Eredevisie and the Keuken Kampioen Divisie (second tier) in collaboration with 34 professional clubs, the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) - which is investigating last weekend's incident - and other bodies.
"This campaign targets offensive chanting from the stands and discrimination on [amateur] football fields," read an explanation on the Eredivisie website.
"It is intended to raise awareness among fans that football is for everyone, irrespective of cultural background, religion or sexual preferences.
"The message 'Racism? Then we won't play football!' also links in with the protocol that has been applied by the football association and clubs during matches since 2016.
"In the event of offensive and discriminatory chanting, the supporters are asked to stop their behaviour. If the chanting continues, the football will be brought to a halt."
The move follows a response by Georginio Wijnaldum and Frenkie de Jong, who pointed to the colour of their skin after the Liverpool midfielder opened the scoring in Holland's 5-0 win against Estonia on Tuesday.
