The Tyne-Wear derby between regional rivals Newcastle United and Sunderland is renowned as one of England's most fiercely contested football matches. Brobbey, who was selected for the Dutch national team by Koeman last Friday, decided the game with his winning goal in the 92nd minute. The match concluded 1-2 in favour of Sunderland.
However, the match was marred by fan violence even before kick-off. Supporters clashed, requiring police intervention, team buses were pelted, and emergency services even had to resuscitate a fan.
'Dutch International Victim of Racism'
Unfortunately, issues continued during the match itself. In the second half of the heated derby, the game was temporarily halted due to reports of a Sunderland player being racially abused. The player in question is Dutch international Lutsharel Geertruida, as reported by the Premier League Match Center on X after the game.
"This aligns with the Premier League's on-field anti-discrimination protocol. The incident at St James' Park will now be thoroughly investigated," the league stated in a declaration. "We extend our full support to the player and both clubs. Racism has no place in our sport, or anywhere in society. We will continue to collaborate with stakeholders and authorities to ensure our stadiums are inclusive and welcoming environments for everyone."
Geertruida, who made the move to England from RB Leipzig last summer, has not yet commented on the situation. The former Feyenoord player was not called up for the upcoming international break for the Dutch national team. The defender has accumulated nineteen international caps in total.