"The situation was with Ji-sung Eom," Vitor Matos told BBC Sport after Swansea's night at Millwall was interrupted by an alleged racist chanting report. What should have been a straightforward post-match reaction instead centred on a stoppage in the 65th minute, a police-backed CCTV check and both clubs moving quickly to condemn what was alleged at The Den.

The stoppage became the story

The player identified by Matos was Ji-sung Eom, the South Korean winger who was warming up when the alleged remarks were directed at him.

Referee Edward Duckworth halted the match in the 65th minute, and the game was paused for almost seven minutes. An announcement inside the stadium said there had been a report of racist chanting and that police were working to identify any offenders using CCTV.

That response was central to Matos' reaction afterwards. Speaking to BBC Sport, he said: "The referee followed the protocol for these sort of situations, they did the right thing. Millwall also did the right thing to get the protocol moving on."

He also made Swansea's position clear: "We all know there is no space for this, this kind of situation should not happen."

Matos then added: "When they do happen we are here to stand with the player, in this case it is our player."

The response from both benches

There was no attempt from either side to minimise the allegation. Alex Neil, quoted by the Independent, said: "It’s been reported and obviously it’s not acceptable."

That is the right line from Millwall, and the club later said it was working with the relevant authorities and would take the strongest possible action against any individual found responsible.

The football itself did continue, and Ronald scored the late winner for Swansea after coming on as a substitute. Matos even joked to the Independent, "I think it was a lucky substitution by the manager."

Even so, the result was pushed into the background once play stopped. The pause lasted long enough, and the stadium announcement was specific enough, that the alleged abuse became the defining issue from the night.

Matos' fuller assessment of the match reflected that split between football and everything around it. He told the Independent: "It was a really intense game, a good game, Millwall started really well. But I think we did it really well to deal with that, we stayed organised. That allowed us to grow into the game."

BBC also reported that Swansea remain two points clear at the top of the Championship after the win. The more immediate point is that the incident involving Eom is now part of a police investigation, after a match at The Den that was halted for almost seven minutes in the 65th minute.

FAQ

What happened in the Millwall vs Swansea match involving Eom Ji-sung?

The match at The Den was halted in the 65th minute after a report of alleged racist chanting directed at Ji-sung Eom, who was warming up for Swansea. Play was paused for almost seven minutes, and an announcement said police were using CCTV to identify any offenders.

What did Vitor Matos say about the alleged racist abuse of Eom Ji-sung?

Vitor Matos said: "The situation was with Ji-sung Eom." He also backed the response on the night, saying the referee followed protocol and Millwall did the right thing to get it moving. Matos added that there is no space for this kind of situation and that Swansea would stand with the player.

Did Millwall respond to the Eom Ji-sung racism allegation?

Yes. Alex Neil said: "It’s been reported and obviously it’s not acceptable." Millwall also said it was working with the relevant authorities and would take the strongest possible action against any individual found responsible.

Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →