MANILA, Philippines -- Philippine Azkals veteran goalkeeper Neil Etheridge has experienced an "incident of racism" during one of his matches with European club Birmingham City FC, they said.
In a statement made by the club on Sunday, Etheridge had reported the incident during the second half of Birmingham's Emirates FA Cup match against the Blackburn Rovers during the weekend.
According to the Blues, the goalkeeper made match official Keith Stroud aware of what happened, which led to a delayed restart of the match.
Stroud spoke to the head coaches and captains of both teams as part of competition protocol.
Incidents of racism are not uncommon in football, with various players across different leagues and competition levels falling victim to it.
Though no other details were shared on what exactly transpired, the club expressed its full backing against Etheridge.
"Blues gives its full support to Neil. There is no room for racism in the game," they wrote in the statement.
They also posted on social media a message of support for the 32-year-old.
We are all with you, Ethers. ???? pic.twitter.com/bbLqjGdTVv
— Birmingham City FC (@BCFC) January 28, 2023
"We are all with you, Ethers," a tweet read.
Etheridge, who has played for Birmingham City FC since 2020, thanked the team for their support during the ordeal.
Thank you ALL for your messages of support. KRO #kickitout https://t.co/6SuISBWzyq
— Neil Etheridge (@Neil38Etheridge) January 28, 2023
"Thank you ALL for your messages of support," he said.