Sunderland secured their second victory of the season against their fiercest rivals. The Black Cats defeated Newcastle 2-1, but the match was marred by a scandalous incident.
The game was halted in the 54th minute after Lutsharel Geertruida approached the referee to report racist abuse. Following this, the Black Cats released a statement, which we are publishing in full.
Sunderland Football Club is aware of a reported incident of racist abuse directed at Lutsharel Geertruida during today's match at St. James' Park. We stand with Lutsharel, who has our full support, and commend him for the courage and leadership he showed in reporting this incident to the match officials. Racism is completely unacceptable. It is abhorrent and has no place in our sport or society. We acknowledge Newcastle United's statement and expect those responsible to be identified and held accountable. There must be no tolerance, excuses, or ambiguity when it comes to such incidents. Football must be a safe and inclusive environment for everyone – without exception – and we will continue to work with the relevant authorities to support that goal. Sunderland AFC Statement
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