Uefa must be vigilant in Serbia, says Doolin

Ireland U19 manager Paul Doolin wants Uefa chiefs in Serbia next week to protect his players from anything like the racism England were subjected to last October.

Doolin and the 18-man squad he unveiled yesterday, including three black players, travel to Belgrade for the European Championship elite stage qualifiers, from June 6-11. Racism has long blighted Serbian football, beamed across the world when their U21 Uefa qualifier against England descended into ugly scenes.

England players Thomas Ince and Steven Caulker alleged they were racially abused by opponents while monkey taunts could be clearly heard from the crowd when Danny Rose was walking off the pitch after receiving a red card. The subsequent sanctions imposed on the Serbia FA by Uefa — one U21 match to be played behind closed doors and an €80,000 fine — were widely slammed for their leniency. Rio Ferdinand claimed it proved the European governing body were not serious on tackling the issue.