Leeds keeper Casilla received an eight-game suspension as well as a £60,000 fine after being found guilty of using racist language towards Leko during a match in September 2019.

Leko was on loan at Charlton at the time with the FA publishing a report revealing Casilla allegedly shouted ‘You ****ing n*****’ at the 20-year-old.

In a statement released on Wednesday, Leko criticised the PFA and anti-racism bodies Kick It Out and Show Racism the Red Card.

The forward said he had ‘no contact in the way of support from the leading anti-racism bodies.’

In a statement released yesterday, Kick It Out said they twice made contact with Charlton in a bid to help Leko.

The Express & Star understands current protocol means the organisation is expected to make contact with clubs instead of the players themselves.

And Troy Townsend – who is Kick it Out’s head of development – hinted that is where he believes there has been a breakdown in communication.

“I just want to put on record and be totally honest about how gutted I am for Jonathan Leko,” Townsend told talkSPORT.

Advertising

“To have to write that through the lack of support, it absolutely guts me. I’m not sure if it does enough people, if I’m totally honest, but it absolutely guts me.

“I feel like I’ve let him down. I have to follow a process when situations like this happen and I followed that process.

“I reached out to Jonathan through two members of the football club he was representing at the time and I’ve got to take their word as gospel that the message will get to Jonathan and, if he needed support, they would direct him to me.”

Townsend continued: “That means, then, that the breakdown in communication is not from my side, it’s from the club’s side.

Advertising

“But I don’t want to make excuses, I’m happy for the buck stopping with me, because ultimately there are other ways you can contact an individual.

“We try to be respectful in this game, we try and do the right thing by the clubs and the players by following the correct process, and that correct process has let Jonathan Leko down.

“If I’m part of that process, then of course I’ve let him down.”

Jonathan Leko statement.https://t.co/qAGgThNDQs — West Bromwich Albion (@WBA) March 4, 2020

In their statement, Kick It Out reiterated that it did try and make contact with Leko.

It also called for a review in the sentences given to players found guilty of using racist language, with the body believing eight games is not enough.

The statement read: “Kick It Out did reach out via the proper channels to Charlton within days of the incident to offer our support to Jonathan Leko and we extend him our sympathy as he did not receive the appropriate support he needed during this stressful experience.”

The statement continued: “We can confirm that we have not heard from Kiko Casilla or Leeds United FC as yet, however we extend an olive branch to him and the club to provide practical support and continued opportunities for re-education.

“We are somewhat disappointed with the length of ban administered, particularly as The FA were pushing for an additional two matches.

“This ban is in line with a similar case going back eight plus years and we would ask does it send a message that we have not moved on since that period of time.

“We would welcome the opportunity to liaise with The FA to consider consistent and standardised sentencing guidelines, in order that relative punishments can more accurately reflect our values as a game and a society.”