Beasley Suffers Racial Taunts in Montenegro

If UEFA President Michel Platini was looking for a test case for his new plan to crack down on racial taunting from European football fans, he just got it.

DaMarcus Beasley kicked the game winner for Rangers in their 1-0 win over FK Zeta, allowing them to advance to the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League. The big story, however, was the racial abuse that Zeta supporters in Montenegro hurled upon Beasley during the game.

A small section of fans made "monkey chants" aimed at Beasley and teammate Jean-Claude Darcheville, according to Rangers' Web site. ...

"It happened to me a few years ago when PSV played Red Star in Belgrade, and I can't believe racist abuse is still in football," Beasley was quoted as saying on Rangers' Web site. "People can come to a match and jeer, but the racist thing just has to get out of football."

This isn't the only trouble football fans have started in the former Yugoslavia. Partizan Belgrade was kicked out of UEFA Cup after its fans rioted, attacking fans from NK Zrinjski of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Serbians and Bosnians starting a riot? Gee, who would have seen that coming? You'd think that these groups might have issues with anyone different from them or something.

Rangers will face a Serbian club, Red Star Belgrade, in the next round. It would be nice if the Red Star supporters left the bananas at home for a change, but I'm not holding my breath. Hold your head up, DaMarcus.