Racist Serb fans torment Brazilian footballer Everton Luiz Published duration 20 February 2017

image copyright AFP image caption Partizan goalkeeper Filip Kljajic hugged Everton Luiz after the torrent of racist abuse from fans

One of Serbia's top football clubs, Partizan Belgrade, has condemned racist chanting during a match that reduced one of its players, Brazilian midfielder Everton Luiz, to tears.

He suffered monkey chants and other abuse from some fans of rivals FK Rad.

"I couldn't hold back the tears because I was racially insulted from the stands for 90 minutes," said Everton, 28.

Later FK Rad said the chanting had been very brief and just 10 fans were involved. It is a rival Belgrade club.

"We condemn this type of behaviour and have taken measures to exclude the crowd of around 10 people who did it, and ban them from our stadium," said the club's general manager Uros Tosic.

A Partizan statement backing Everton said "we strongly condemn the perpetrators of this insane act".

At the end of the match Everton made a crude gesture at the Rad fans, prompting some Rad players to confront him. A brawl broke out, but staff from both sides managed to separate the players.

Rad supporters also brandished a banner insulting Everton. Rad, playing at home, lost 0-1 to Partizan.

image copyright AFP image caption Everton Luiz in tears after the match: The abuse was unrelenting, he complained

"What shocked me above all was the attitude of the other team. Instead of trying to defuse the situation, they supported that type of behaviour. I want to forget about it all as quickly as possible," Everton said on Sunday.

Partizan coach Marko Nikolic, quoted by Reuters news agency, said the club was likely to discipline Everton, but he also called for the Rad fans to be punished.

Everton moved to Europe in 2013 and played for Swiss teams before joining Partizan early last year.

In 2012 Serbian fans chanted racist abuse at black England players during an Under-21 international match. Players were then involved in scuffles on the pitch and European football body Uefa charged both the Serbian and England football associations for the ugly scenes.

Uefa has banned Partizan from European competitions for three seasons because of unpaid debts.

Hooliganism has repeatedly marred matches between Partizan and its big Belgrade rival Red Star.

Update 23 February 2017: This report has been updated to include a response from FK Rad.