Badji: Dupovac called me a black monkey

(Patria) - Tuzla City striker Badara Badji was sent off against Sarajevo at the end of the first half after a scuffle in the middle of the pitch.

Badji first made a sliding tackle, committing a foul. Then a scuffle ensued in which Badji reacted unsportingly, grabbing home player Dupovac by the neck.

Badji explained what made him do it and why he reacted this way:

“After that tackle, one of the home players (Dupovac) came up to me and said, ‘What do you want, you black monkey?’ That was the reason I reacted like that. I simply couldn't restrain myself because it is a great insult on racial grounds,” Badji said for the Tuzla City club website.

Nevertheless, he states that he regrets it.

“In the end, I came out as the guilty one, because I fell for that insult, and everyone only saw what I did, but few saw why I did it, actually what provoked me to react that way. Regardless of everything, I am sorry I did it, now I sincerely regret it, but I cannot take anything back. I know it is not my place to take justice into my own hands, but I think it is very unfair and unsportsmanlike to say something like that to me, because we should not insult each other on racial or any other grounds, just because we have different skin colours,” Badji said.

Football Club Tuzla City does not justify Badji's actions, but also opposes any form of racial, religious and national discrimination and will ask the authorities to initiate proceedings against those who do so, the club from Simin Han stated on its website.