Boateng: I'm surprised that racism happens in 2013

The Rossoneri star walked out on the encounter halfway through the first half after being whistled by the crowd, and is adamant that no player should suffer the same treatment.

"I was surprised that in the time we live in now - it's 2013 - these things still happen; still these things come up, and still we have to fight these things and still hear these things," Boateng told CNN.

"It's not the first time in my life that I've had to see things like this or hear things like this. I'm 25 years old, and I don't want to see this bulls**t any more, and for myself, no one can convince me to play again. I said it straight: 'I'm not going to play on this pitch again.'

"No, [I hadn't spoken to any black team-mates before taking action], on the field, you don't really have time to speak about things like this, but I could hear when they did it to Muntari, and even before they did it to me.

"It's difficult to answer [how it made me feel]. There are so many emotions. I was angry, I was sad, I was disappointed. And this all came together and I said: 'Okay, I'm not going to play any more. I don't want to play when the crowd is doing things like this, or in a place like this'. So many negative emotions came up in me.

"I'd say to everyone that I don't want them to play through this experience - I'd tell them to walk off the pitch."

Boateng also revealed that he had warned the referee beforehand that he would not torelate any abuse coming his way, only for the official to brush away his concerns.

"It started five minutes after we started the friendly game, when I heard some group in the corner doing the noises of monkeys, so first of all, I didn't realise it - I didn't want to realise it.

"Then it happened a second time to Muntari, then I spoke to the referee and I said, 'Listen, if it happens again, I'm not going to play any more.' The referee said: 'Don't worry', so I said: 'Yeah, I do worry', because it's not nice.

"Then the third time, I was trying to dribble past a player and I heard their voices coming again, the noises coming from them, so that's why I stopped the game and shot the ball to them.

"And I was really angry, so I shot the ball to the crowd."

Former Rossoneri star Clarence Seedorf condemned Boateng's decision to leave the field in the wake of the incident, but the 25-year-old feels his ex-team-mate was wrong.

"I respect his opinion but i think Seedorf's wrong. They should get 100 per cent of our attention and its the only way we can kick these people out. We can't just stay silent and pretend we didnt hear anything."

Despite his anger at receiveing such abuse, Boateng stated that nothing would make him leave the game due to his love for playing.

"I wouldn't consider retiring, there's some very stupid people but I will give them my attention because I want to kick them out. I love the game too much." 

 

 

Culled from Goal.com