Ondrej Kudela BANNED for 10 matches by UEFA for his ‘racist behaviour’ towards Rangers’ Glen Kamara

Slavia Prague defender Ondrej Kudela has been banned for 10 matches by UEFA for his ‘racist behaviour’ towards Rangers’ Glen Kamara.

Kamara, 25, said he was the victim of ‘vile, racist abuse’ by Kudela during their Europa League last-16 game at Ibrox  on March 18, with the Rangers midfielder accusing his opponent of calling him a ‘f****** monkey’. 

But the Finnish midfielder has also been given a three-match ban for ‘assaulting another player’ after Slavia claimed Kudela, 34, was ‘cowardly beaten with fists in the face by Kamara’ in the tunnel after the full time whistle. 

The Rangers midfielder accused his opponent of calling him a ‘f****** monkey’ during the heated Europa League last-16 tie

Kudela fiercely denied the racism allegations, insisting he told the player he was ‘a f***ing guy’ as he whispered something into Kamara’s ear.

Kamara’s account was supported by Rangers team-mate Bongani Zungu and UEFA’s control, ethics and disciplinary body has now found Kudela guilty of using racist language.

The body’s full written reasons will be published at a later stage, and both sanctions are open to appeal.

Police Scotland confirmed a few days after the match they were looking into the accusations of racist abuse reported by Kamara and also the criminal complaint Slavia filed against Kamara for the alleged tunnel fracas. 

Kudela was given a one-match ‘provisional suspension’ for misconduct last week as UEFA concluded their investigation but he missed the quarter-final first leg draw with Arsenal through illness and injury anyway. That one-game ban is included within the overall 10-match sanction.  

Kudela later alleged that he was punched in the face by Kamara in the tunnel after the match

Rangers boss Steven Gerrard was left furious by the incident and urged UEFA to take swift and decisive action against the Slavia player

Rangers striker Kemar Roofe has also been suspended for four European matches after UEFA charged him with ‘assault’ during the match against Slavia Prague.

Roofe was sent off during Rangers’ 2-0 home defeat after a poor challenge saw him kick goalkeeper Ondrej Kolar in the face.

Kolar was left with a fractured skull and the governing body has now cited him for ‘dangerously assaulting another player’. 

For their part in the fracas on the pitch after the game, Rangers have been fined €9,000 (£7,800) after being found guilty of improper conduct. 

Tensions have continued to escalate since the match and last month 11 of the Czech club’s supporters posed with a long banner that read ‘Kamara – just a n*****’ while holding flares to light it up. 

Another image posted on the same Instagram account shows the group holding another banner that read: ‘Slavia Praha against all #TeamKudela.’  

Slavia Prague ultras hold up a vile banner calling Rangers midfielder Glen Kamara a ‘n*****’

In an extraordinary intervention last month, Slavia’s president Jaroslav Tvrdik came out fighting against the racism accusations leveled at Kudela.

Tvrdik blamed Rangers officials of ‘escalating biased pressure’ on UEFA and the police and said Slavia have been the victims of ‘xenophobic prejudice.’ 

UEFA introduced a 10-match ban for discrimination in 2013 and it is the minimum punishment that the organisation’s control, ethics and disciplinary body can issue for racist behaviour.

In August 2019, European football’s governing body took what was described as a ‘rare move’ by banning Kostyantyn Makhnovskyi, a Ukrainian goalkeeper for Latvian side Ventspils, for 10 matches for racism. 

It came after unspecified racist conduct by Makhnovskyi in a Europa League second qualifying round game against Gzira in Malta.   

More to follow.