England walk off in Under-15 World Cup match after racism claim
Fifa are gathering reports after the Group C fixture against Republic of Ireland in Baku was abandoned in its final minute.
England walked off the pitch at the Under-15 World Cup on Monday after one of their players alleged racism by a Republic of Ireland player, and the match was abandoned.
The alleged incident came in the final minute of the Group C match in Baku, with Republic of Ireland 4-1 ahead at the time. Following an altercation between the two sides, an England player went to his bench to complain to the coaching staff.
England head coach Matt Thorpe called the referee over, and the official told the England staff he could not hear after Thorpe's first report. One of Thorpe's assistants then told the referee they were reporting racism and did not want to play, later adding that a player was upset. Heated words followed between the two coaching staffs, each saying they were protecting their players.
Fifa told BBC Sport that they are investigating and collecting reports.
The tournament is the first edition of the U15 World Cup and Festival, played eight-a-side on smaller pitches. England are next due to face Zimbabwe at 20:45 local time (16:45 GMT) on Monday, while Republic of Ireland meet Cambodia at the same time.
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