Patrick Vieira backed by Manuel Pellegrini over decision to take Manchester City Under 21 side off after midfielder Seko Fofana allegedly racially abused during pre-season match in Croatia

Vieira walks Manchester City youngsters off the pitch during pre-season match in Croatia



City midfielder Seko Fofana was allegedly the victim of racial abuse

Friendly match was postponed after HNK Rijeka player allegedly racially insulted Fofana

Fofana is said to have been deeply distressed by the incident

City boss Pellegrini backs Vieira's decision



Patrick Vieira was right to haul his Manchester City youth side off the pitch after one of his players was allegedly racially abused, says first-team boss Manuel Pellegrini.



Vieira stopped the match against NHK Rijeka on their pre-season tour of Croatia after an opposing player allegedly racially abused 19-year-old French midfielder Seko Fofana.



Pellegrini said: 'I don’t know too much but if Patrick felt that it was right to take the players off the pitch then that must have been the right thing to do.



VIDEO Scroll down to watch Seko Fofana scoring for Manchester City in 2013

Flashpoint: Seko Fofana (No 8) kicked out at a NHK Rijeka player after being allegedly racially abused

Seeing red: Fofana was sent off for kicking out at his opponent as the players come together

Taking a stand: Patrick Vieira (third left) walked on to the pitch after hearing what may have happened Stopped: The match is abandoned as Vieira leads his team off the pitch in Croatia after the incident

'He evaluated the situation and did the right thing. It is impossible to carry on playing when that kind of thing has happened.'

Vieira's Elite Development Side are currently on a 10-day pre-season training camp in Novigrad and they demanded that the match against HNK Rijeka was postponed after the incident.



Fofana was sent off by the referee after being seen to kick out at his opponent but the club have revealed their belief that the midfielder, usually a level-headed young man, was racially abused moments before he lashed out. The incident took place just before the half-time break.

The decision to postpone the match was a unilateral one taken by the management staff present and Vieira is understood to be unequivocal in his backing of the young player, who is said to have been left deeply distressed by the incident.



A club statement on Tuesday evening read: 'Manchester City's EDS U21 game with HNK Rijeka has today (Tuesday) been cancelled due to an alleged incident of racial abuse toward the club's young midfielder, Seko Fofana by a member of the opposing team.



Youngster: Fofana in action during an Under-21 match against Chelsea last season at the Etihad

It's happened before...

Unfortunately, this isn't the first example in which a team have staged a walk-off after alleged racial abuse:

- In 2013, Kevin-Prince Boateng led his AC Milan team-mates off the pitch after black players were subjected to racist abuse during a friendly at fourth division side Pro Patria.

The former Tottenham and Portsmouth forward kicked the ball into the crowd after 26 minutes of the goalless match in Busto Arsizio

- Later that year, Milan were rocked by another racism flashpoint as Kevin Constant reacted angrily to tormentors in a pre-season tournament but he was substituted rather than the match being abandoned.

- Also in 2013, a Watford Under-19 side were taking part in the Wojtyla Cup in Rome when academy coach Dave Hughes ordered his players to leave the pitch after alleged racist abuse.



'Following an alleged incident in the latter stages of the first half of the game, being played in Novigrad, Croatia, a decision was taken by the management staff to withdraw the City team from the field of play and cancel the game.



'Club representatives in Croatia and in Manchester are liaising with officials, the match organisers and the Croatian Football Association to pursue this matter further.'

HNK Rijeka, however, appear to have distanced themselves from speculation that one of their players made racist comments towards Fofana.

A statement on their website read: 'Manchester City coach Patrick Vieira entered the field, something was discussed with the referee, and then to the amazement of a well-filled stadium he took his team off the pitch. What are the reasons? They are known only to him.'



City are incensed after this became the fourth case of alleged racist abuse directed towards one of their players in the last two years and privately they are furious that more is not being done to tackle backwards attitudes on the continent.



No laughing matter: Vieira took his players off the pitch after allegations of racist abuse during pre-season

Making his point: Vieira was integral to Manchester City's players development and was in pre-season

Stepping in: After the incident, Man City coach Patrick Vieira stepped in to have the game cancelled

Previous: Kevin-Prince Boateng led his AC Milan team-mates off the pitch after black players were subjected to racist abuse in 2013 VIDEO Racism in football won't change - Cole

Only in March, fellow EDS player Devante Cole, the son of former Manchester United player Andrew, was the victim of racial abuse during a UEFA Youth League match at Atletico Madrid.



The player was targeted by players and supporters, and is understood to have even be spat at as he left the field. Even a tannoy announcement made during the game did not stem the tide of bile aimed at Cole.



UEFA's response was a fine of just €10,000 euros and a partial closure of their youth stadium for a future game.



It also follows the alleged monkey chants by CSKA Moscow supporters directed towards Yaya Toure in last season's Champions League clash in Russia and the same kind of alleged derogatory noises aimed at Mario Balotelli during a Europa League match against Porto in 2012.



Porto were fined only £16,700 for the behaviour of their supporters while CSKA were punished with only a partial closure of their stadium.

