L ondon: Ruud Gullit has said Uefa should not punish players who leave the pitch in response to racist abuse at Euro 2012.
The formerNetherlandscaptain accepted that the match officials should deal with any racist incidents that occur during the tournament.
He said those affected should be allowed to make a personal stand on the issue if the officials fail to act.
“Players shouldn’t just keep quiet and play on like in my day,” he told the media.
Before the tournament, Uefa president Michel Platini said any players who unilaterally walk off the pitch at Euro 2012 due to racial abuse would be booked.
Italyforward Mario Balotelli said he would leave the field if he heard racist abuse coming from the stands, but Platini insisted that the match officials alone should be given the power to deal with the situation.
“It’s a yellow card. It’s not a player – Mr Balotelli – who’s in charge of refereeing,” he said.
