The British government called on football chiefs Monday to do more to rid the sport of racism, but stopped short of launching a full-scale inquiry demanded by the domestic players' union following the latest incident in the English game.
Chelsea's 2-0 win away at London rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Sunday saw referee Anthony Taylor halt play during the second half when Antonio Rudiger complained of hearing monkey noises from spectators.
Moments earlier, the Chelsea defender had been involved in a clash with Son Heung-min that saw the South Korean sent off.
Shortly after the stoppage, an announcement, later repeated, made over the public address system warned that "racist behaviour among spectators is interfering with the game" and Taylor spoke to both managers, Jose Mourinho and Frank Lampard.
After the match, Rudiger tweeted: "It's just such a shame that racism still exists in 2019.
"When will this nonsense stop?" the German added, saying the security cameras at the recently opened Tottenham Hotspur Stadium ought to make it possible to find, and subsequently punish, any offenders.
- 'Racism rife in the UK' -
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"Racist abuse in football is not just an issue for black and ethnic minority players, it is an issue for everyone who loves the game."
"Clearly there remains more work to be done by the football authorities in tackling this issue and we are committed to working with them on this to stamp it out."
The spokesman, however, added: "We will continue working with the authorities on this, including the Professional Footballers' Association and we don't rule out taking further steps if required."
- Johnson criticism -
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