Saturday’s Argentine Primera División fixture between Estudiantes and Boca Juniors was marked by another case of racist abuse overlooked by a referee. The Boca Juniors Colombian player Frank Fabra left the pitch at the end of the game in tears for being racially abused throughout.

A video of the match shows his captain Fernando Gago asking the referee Silvio Trucco to stop the match during the game. After the final whistle he again approached the referee and his assistant asking why the match had not been stopped, the referee retorted that the incidents were isolated.

“They called me all sorts of things: monkey, negro, told me go back to your country, everything. I am very grateful to Boca and captain Gago for reporting the incident to the referee, I could hear it but was trying to ignore it” Fabra told the media.

The racist abuse came from a section of the crowd of Estadio de Unico de La Plata, in La Plata. Boca Juniors have made a formal complaint to the Argentine Football Federation (AFA). A club statement read:

“Boca Juniors repudiate the chants and racist actions that our player, Frank Fabra, was subjected to during the last round of Torneo de Primera División, played on Saturday (6 May) against Estudiantes, in La Plata.

“Our players reported the incident to the referee, Silvio Trucco, while the racist abuse was taking place and showed him where it was coming from. However, the match was not stopped.

“Within the next few hours, we will present a formal complaint to AFA asking that referees are given clear instructions on how to act in such inadmissible situations”.

The incident comes a week after Ghana and Pescara player Sulley Muntari walked off the pitch during an Italian Serie A match after being racially abused. Muntari reported the abuse to the referee, for which he was booked.

Read our blogs on the Muntari incident and Football Associations needed to follow protocols on racism.