Referee’s career over after racist remarks to African footballer playing in Europe

A Swedish referee suspended for making racist remarks towards Guinea international goalkeeper Aly Keita says his career is “effectively” over.

Speaking to a Swedish newspaper, Martin Strombergsson
regretted remarks made to Keita in a top-flight match last year.

Last month, Keita said that the referee told him “to
shut up and go back into his goal so bananas could be thrown at him”.

“I need to find a new employer in the future,”
said the 43-year-old official.

This was the Fifa referee’s response to the fact that he has
been suspended for the rest of the season, which is only six weeks old.

He is yet to officially hear whether his career as a referee
is over but his suspension lasts until the end of his current contract.

Stromgbergsson’s punishment was announced on Friday by the
referee’s committee of the Swedish Football Federation.

“Martin Strombergsson insists that he had no racist
intentions with what he said,” noted Peter Ekstrom, chairman of the
committee.

“We have no reason to doubt this, but still consider it
to be a very inappropriate statement, and it must be obvious that it can be
perceived as offensive.”