This archive report was first published on 15 August 2019.
On August 8, 2019, a disturbing incident occurred during a friendly match between QPR's Under-18 team and AD Nervion FC in Spain. The QPR players were allegedly subjected to monkey noises and racist taunts by the opposition players, prompting their defender Trent Mahorn to lead his teammates off the pitch.
QPR has expressed its full support for Mahorn's decision and is urging Uefa, the governing body of European football, to take the strongest possible action against the perpetrators.
"We take a very strong stance against racism and will not tolerate one of our players being subjected to the despicable comments experienced," said QPR chief executive Lee Hoos.
Hoos believes that Uefa should have a more significant role in addressing racism in football, especially in countries where the issue persists. He pointed out that if the incident had occurred in England, the Football Association would have dealt with it swiftly and imposed a strong punishment.
QPR is in dialogue with the Football Association over the matter and is receiving support from Kick It Out, a campaign group that fights against discrimination in football.
"We will always back players and teams who leave the pitch after suffering significant discriminatory abuse, especially if they have followed the correct protocols," said Kick It Out in a statement.
This incident is the latest in a series of racist abuse cases in football, including the abuse of England players during a Euro 2020 qualifier in Montenegro last season and the alleged racial abuse of Arsenal's Jordi Osei-Tutu during a friendly match in Germany.
