PSG vs Istanbul Basaksehir replay: Who is Sebastian Coltescu? The fourth official at the center of racism storm
The spotlight is firmly on fourth official Sebastian Coltescu. The 43-year-old was allegedly accused of racial abuse towards Istanbul Basaksehir's assistant coach, Pierre Webo during the UEFA Champions League fixture between Paris Saint-Germain and Basaksehir on Tuesday, December 8. Following the ugly turn of events, the match was canceled and will now be played on Wednesday, December 9.
Coltescu was accused of having called Webp "the Black guy" according to multiple media reports.
Who is Sebastian Coltescu?
Coltescu is a Romanian official who serves as first division referee in Romania. The current season has seen him officiate only one game between Petrocub Hincesti and Backa Topola in a Europa League qualifier. According to an AS report, his previous assignments include an Atlético Madrid v Galatasaray fixture in the UEFA Youth League.
The site also states that this wasn't the first time Coltescu was in the focus for wrong reasons for his decisions during a game between Gaz Metan Medias and Steaua Bucharest. The string of bad decisions saw him earn harsh criticism from Adrian Porumboiu, a Romanian former referee who said his career was filled with "dark moments".
He added: "He (Coltescu) may have talent, but he should maybe choose another profession: music or dancing. In refereeing, you have to be impartial." The victim, Webo, is a former Cameroonian footballer who played as a striker. He competed in Uruguay and Turkey and represented his country in two World Cups and two Africa Cup of Nations.
The 38-year-old played for eight years in La Liga and has 227 appearances in total for Osasuna and Mallorca with 47 goals to his credit. He currently serves as the assistant manager of the Turkish club.
The incident
Basaksehir's assistant coach, Pierre Webo, accused the game’s fourth official, Sebastian Coltescu of using a racial term to describe him. Basaksehir's striker Demba Ba asked Coltescu if he would have referenced a player's color if he was White before the referee pointed for the players to leave for the locker room.
When asked by the head referee which coach was to receive the card, the fourth referee reportedly said "the Black guy," according to multiple reports. What followed was a tense atmosphere before the referee asked the players to leave for the locker room.
According to FOX News, the UEFA said it would investigate. A thorough investigation on the incident that took place will be opened immediately,” UEFA said in a statement that announced the remainder of the match was being pushed back a day.
The rematch will start at 12.55 pm ET on Wednesday, December 9, 2020, and can be watched live on CBS All Access.
